Wrong Place, Wrong Time
by RoadrunnerGER
Summary: On an early night off Ianto Jones learned the hard way that when everything about your job is unexpected, it's the everyday dangers that could kill you. Janto, set s2
1. Chapter 1

**Wrong Place, Wrong Time**

a Torchwood story

by RoadrunnerGER

_Disclaimer_: I don't own Torchwood, RTD and the BBC do. Long live Ianto Jones!

_Summary_: On an early night off Ianto Jones learned the hard way that when everything about your job is unexpected, it's the everyday dangers that could kill you. Janto, set s2

A/N: Hey! My muse is so mean to me. LOL Here I am, working on a bunch of stories, and she throws just another plot bunny at me. This story was a surprise for me that I want to share with you. I hope you'll like it. Concrit is very much appreciated. Thank you for reading. Special thanks go to _Kitsa_ for beta-reading and support as well as to _Mandassina_ for her feedback while I was writing. Enjoy!

**Chapter 1**

It was one of those rare evenings when there was no Rift alert or other task preventing them from going home at a decent time. Jack was in London at a UNIT meeting which made Owen second in command. Having their, or better his, best interest in mind the doctor decided to let them call it an early day.

So Ianto used the opportunity to run some errands. When he had everything tucked away in his car he decided to go out for dinner.

Going alone was not perfect, but with Jack gone, Owen was out of the question, and Gwen was home with Rhys. Ianto would have liked to meet Toshiko, but she had enthusiastically declared that she wanted to go to an exhibition. Now that Ianto wondered where that exhibition might be he realized that their computer expert had not mentioned that.

Ianto chose an Italian restaurant in the city centre where he was lucky and got a small table at the window. Even though he was alone he enjoyed the view out on Cardiff. Sipping at his wine while he waited for his meal he let his gaze glide over what he could see from there and let his mind wander.

On most days they were so busy saving the city or even the world that they could not stop for even a second to think about why they were doing what they were doing. So this was a rare opportunity and while Ianto watched mothers stroll by with their kids on their way home, men in expensive suits hurry to a business dinner, or a couple walk along the sidewalk holding hands, he thought about being a small but important part in keeping them all safe.

The waiter arriving with his penne arrabiata startled Ianto out of his reverie. He thanked the young man and dug into his pasta, realizing only now that saving the world had made him hungry. The sauce was very spicy which Ianto appreciated. He liked it hot.

A grin cracked his features at that thought. Two more days and his hot captain would be back from London.

A smile still played around his lips when he had finished his pasta and paid for his meal. Leaving the restaurant he took a deep breath. The park was not far away and he contemplated going for a walk. _No,_ he shook his head. _No fun without Jack._

So Ianto walked down the street to where he had parked his car. He just unlocked the FIAT when he felt something press between his shoulder blades.

"No sound," someone hissed in his ear. "Just get in. Now!"

_A gun?_ Ianto wondered. _Or is he bluffing?_

His hand jerked toward his own weapon but found only an empty space. He had taken it off for dinner. It was safely locked away in his car.

"Move!" the man hissed, shoving him toward the driver's door. "Or I'll shoot you here and now."

On the periphery of his vision Ianto saw a shadow move and vanish in the rear of his FIAT. His mouth went dry. The merciless grip on his arm forced him forward. He was pushed in the seat and he felt the muzzle of another gun press against his neck from behind. Then he heard the other guy get in.

"Wallet," the man commanded.

With slightly trembling fingers Ianto fumbled his wallet out of his jacket pocket and held it up with his left hand for the man to take it. _An awful lot of effort for a robbery._ The leather wallet was pulled out of his grip. _Maybe they want the car, too?_ Out of the corner of his eye Ianto noticed a tiny light in the rear.

"Now let's see who we've got here…" one man mused aloud. "His name's Jones."

His comrade snorted with amusement at the common name.

"Yeah… and he's perfect."

_Perfect?_ Ianto heard it with dread. _Perfect for what?_

"Drive," the man grunted, emphasizing his order by pushing the gun barrel in Ianto's side.

"W-where to?" Ianto queried.

"Drive!"

xXx

"Jack!" the pretty doctor at his side complained. "Who are you trying to call?"

"I promised Ianto I'd call," Jack replied and smirked at his companion. "He's not answering the phone."

"Maybe they're busy."

"Probably," Jack mused, dialling again. He only got the mailbox. "You know, Nightingale, you might be right. But I'd like to be sure."

"Jack, it was a long day. Just try and relax."

"I wish I could, Martha."

"Oh, you can," she chuckled. "We have a big buffet and great music, we can eat and drink and dance…" Holding out her hand to him she batted her eyelashes. "Come on, Captain Harkness. Ianto won't mind you dancing with an old friend."

"Right, I don't think he would."

So Jack guided Martha out onto the dance floor. She was a good dancer. Jack enjoyed every dance.

Still he could not quite shake off the feeling that something was wrong.

xXx

Ianto knew for sure that something was wrong as the muzzle of the gun never left his neck while he was directed through Cardiff until they reached a warehouse. One of them got out to open the gate and he was ordered to drive inside. When he stopped the door on his side was yanked open.

"Get out!"

With a feeling of dread Ianto did as he was told. He had barely turned around to step aside and close the door when a punch on his solar plexus winded him. His cry of pain died in his throat as he went down on his knees panting.

One of the men grabbed him by the scruff of his neck, pulled him up and steered him over to a corner of the hall. There he was pushed onto a chair.

"What do you want from me?" Ianto grunted stubbornly. His stomach hurt. So did his pride. He knew he could have overpowered those clowns… if they didn't have their guns.

"For you to keep quiet!" the man who had punched him snarled. His comrade followed, switched on a lamp, and began to rummage around with the things on a table.

Now Ianto could see that they both were masked. Featureless white faces sat atop their black clothes and hoods covered their hair. Still he could see that the man towering over him was burlier than his accomplice.

"You got it finished, or what?"

"As good as," the leaner guy answered.

"Well, then get done, Q!"

Ianto glanced around, searching for a way out. Their banter might offer an opportunity.

The man in front of him stepped back to look at what his partner was doing.

Ianto did not hesitate a second and darted out of his chair and toward the door. Inwardly he cheered when he grabbed the handle and felt that it opened.

Right at that moment strong hands slammed down on his shoulders. Ianto felt himself whirl around and smash into the metal gate. Bouncing off it he flew right into a punch of his burly kidnapper. Ianto cried out and would have gone down if the guy had not grabbed him, manhandling him back to his feet and shoving him back to his seat.

If Ianto thought he would land on the chair again he was mistaken. A winding push sent him sprawling on the floor. A kick in his side turned him onto his back. Before Ianto could as much as scream, the man caught his arms and forced them down, straddling the young man in a way that kept his arms trapped.

Ianto writhed and kicked but it was futile. The man grasped his hair to still him.

"Stop fighting!" he barked, pulling on Ianto's hair.

Groaning Ianto paused. With the weight on his chest he could hardly breathe. The second man appeared beside him, a strange looking item in his hands.

"Would be better if he was sitting," he complained.

"Well, he's not. So get done!" his comrade snapped.

Awkwardly the guy bent forward and pressed the thing against Ianto's neck. The Welshman tried to struggle, but he could not escape. They fastened the thing to his neck, shutting it with a padlock.

"What is that?" Ianto asked anxiously, squinting at the thing around his neck.

Mock thoughtfully the guy straddling him rubbed his chin. "You know Alice in Wonderland?" he asked back.

Ianto nodded slightly.

"Well, think I'm the Queen of Hearts and if you don't do as you're told…" he trailed off, bringing up a remote control and twirling it between his fingers, "it'll be off with your head."

tbc…


	2. Chapter 2

**Wrong Place, Wrong Time**

a Torchwood story

by RoadrunnerGER

_Disclaimer_: I don't own Torchwood, RTD and the BBC do. Long live Ianto Jones!

_Summary_: On an early night off Ianto Jones learned the hard way that when everything about your job is unexpected, it's the everyday dangers that could kill you. Janto, set s2

A/N: Awww, thank you so much for your nice comments, the alerts and favourites. It makes me happy to see that the start got so well received. :D Well, now it's pickin'-on-Ianto-time (he's so torturable, muhahahaha!) so let's see what's in store for our beloved Welshman. Enjoy!

Special thanks go to _Kitsa_ and _Mandassina_ again. Love you guys!

**Chapter 2**

Owen had not quite arrived at the Hub when Toshiko issued a Rift alert. From the front the doctor saw Gwen's car coming and signalled her to stop and join him. She quickly parked her Honda and climbed into Owen's BMW.

"What's up?" she asked.

"Weevil," Toshiko's voice came out of the speaker of the hands-free set.

"This early?" Gwen was surprised. "A weevil in broad daylight?"

"Well, obviously," Toshiko told them. "There was an actual Rift spike. Maybe it just arrived here."

"That's quite possible," Owen grumbled, steering his car as fast as possible through the thick morning traffic. "Bugger! We should've gone to the Hub and taken the SUV! Gwen? Get the earpieces out of the glove compartment."

Gwen opened the box to do as she was told and groaned at the chaos inside.

"Had fun last night?" she queried, holding up a purple bra with pink lace. "Or is this yours?"

Grunting Owen tried to snatch it from her.

"Hey! Traffic!"

"Thanks for reminding me." Quickly Owen put in his earpiece and concentrated on the traffic again. Beside him Gwen did the same.

"Ok, we're on the earpieces now."

Cursing Owen stopped at a red traffic light. They could not afford to get delayed.

"I think we have a problem," Toshiko told them wryly.

"Other than a freshly arrived weevil?" Owen growled.

"Yes. It is heading toward Queens Arcade."

"Queens Arcade!" Gwen gasped. "They're about to open! The mall will be brimming with people!"

"Shouldn't it be closed?" Owen asked.

"Well, as you told us we wouldn't have to be in so early if no alert came up it's later than usual," Gwen explained. "It's almost nine so they'll open…" she glanced at the car's clock, "in about four minutes."

"Great."

Right then the lights switched to green and Owen floored the accelerator. His BMW shot onto Working Street when they spotted it.

Not far from the mall's entrance people sidestepped, clearly avoiding someone who moved in a lolloping way to the glass doors.

"Our weevil," Gwen shouted, pointing unnecessarily at the humanoid creature.

"Maybe it thinks that it's heading for a cave. We've got to stop it before it enters the mall!"

"Yeah."

Blowing the horn of his BMW Owen pulled up on the curb and both Torchwood agents jumped out, running for the boot. They got their equipment and turned to the weevil that screamed at them. Then it lunged at Owen.

"Gwen!" he shouted and she fired her stun gun.

Before it could get its bearings she used the weevil spray on their unwanted guest on Earth to blind it while Owen jumped at it with a syringe and injected it with a sedative. Gwen pulled a hood over its head. It sagged between them and when it was motionless on the ground they adorned its wrists with handcuffs.

"Tosh, we've got it," Gwen announced, panting.

"Great," Toshiko replied. "You know what to do."

"Yeah," Owen groaned. They should definitely have taken the SUV. He cursed as they towed the weevil into the boot of his car to take it back to the Hub.

"Everything's all right!" Gwen told the people surrounding them by now. "Special ops. We've got it all under control."

Then they hurried to climb into the BMW and head back to their base.

xXx

Ianto sat in his car parked at the curb, staring at the car's clock and the entrance ahead in turns. His bruises should have hurt, but he was so fixated on the task at hand that he did not even feel them. They should show up any minute.

And there they were. An armed transporter stopped in front of the building, the men got out, went inside, and returned a few minutes later.

Even though he did not actually need to Ianto looked at his instructions.

The truck left.

Two minutes to go.

Ianto got out of the car and walked slowly and inconspicuously toward the building. Nobody noticed the young man in his not quite as immaculate as usual suit. It was dusty from the night spent at the warehouse on a bare mattress, handcuffed to a pipe.

His insides churned, his anxiety originating from his captivity as much as from what he was supposed to do now. He opened the glass door and ventured inside the bank.

Thankfully there were not many clients as Ianto walked over to the counter. Behind the glass barrier a young brunette, he guessed that she was about his own age, quickly filled in a form before she looked up at him.

"Good morning, sir. What can I do for you?" she asked cordially.

"Would you please fill this bag with two million pounds?" Ianto replied earnestly.

The clerk looked at him as if he had lost his mind. Then she started to laugh.

"This is not a joke," Ianto hissed. Inwardly he cursed. Forcing his voice to stay low he said, "Please, fill this bag with two million pounds."

"You're kidding."

"I'm not kidding," Ianto groaned. "And I'm running out of time. Please. That's a bomb on my neck. Put the money in or they're going to blow my head off."

The clerk's features derailed. "Seriously?"

"Yes! Please, put the money in the bag. Now."

"Okay, okay," she panted, pulling the bag in and rushing to the safe at the back of the counter. She started to throw bundles of money into the bag when a security officer appeared beside Ianto.

"Anything wrong?" he queried.

"Stand back!" Ianto gasped, holding up his hands to show that they were empty except for the notepad he was holding. "Please! This was not my idea! Help me."

"What's up?" the officer demanded to know.

"I need the money. Please help me! If I don't get it in time I will die!"

Obviously the officer was not impressed, because he drew his gun and took aim on Ianto.

"Step back from the counter!" the officer ordered.

Still holding up his hands Ianto shook his head. "I'm sorry, I can't. I need the money. Now."

"You won't get anything!" the officer shouted, his voice high with anxiety.

Ianto stared at him out of widened eyes. He could not afford this man to panic on him. _Maybe he is new in the job,_ Ianto thought. _I have to calm him down._ He choked. _Who's calming me down?_

"Please," Ianto said as softly as he could manage. "It's all about time. See the thing around my neck? It's a bomb. Someone put it on me and told me to get two million pounds. If I don't get it and am on my way in…" he glanced at a clock on the wall, "twelve minutes, it'll blow my head off!"

"Bomb?" a woman squeaked. "Did you say bomb?"

Screaming the other clients fled the bank. Unnoticed by Ianto or the officer the clerk pressed the panic button.

tbc…


	3. Chapter 3

**Wrong Place, Wrong Time**

a Torchwood story

by RoadrunnerGER

_Disclaimer_: I don't own Torchwood, RTD and the BBC do. Long live Ianto Jones!

_Summary_: On an early night off Ianto Jones learned the hard way that when everything about your job is unexpected, it's the everyday dangers that could kill you. Janto, set s2

A/N: Sorry, guys, real life was busy. Thank you all for the nice comments. Now let's see what happens next to our favourite Welshman… Enjoy!

**Chapter 3**

"Bugger, where's my coffee?" Owen complained as he slumped into his office chair. He and Gwen just came up from the vaults where they had stuffed the weevil into a cell. Jack would have to decide what to do with it.

"How about you going to the kitchen and making some?" Toshiko suggested. "Or, on second thought, _you_ better go to Starbucks."

"Why should _anyone_ go to Starbucks?" Owen grumbled. "Where's the teaboy?"

"Actually I don't know," Toshiko told him. "Ianto didn't come in today. I wanted to give you two minutes to recover from catching the weevil so we can search for him."

"Did you call his mobile?" Gwen asked.

"Of course I did," Toshiko snapped. "I also called him at home. No response. Do you happen to know what he wanted to do with his unexpected spare time?"

"With Jack in London…" Owen mused aloud. "No idea."

At that moment the proximity alert blared and the cog door rolled open. Gwen sighed with relief while Toshiko and Owen looked at the entrance expectantly.

"Ianto?" Jack called out as he stormed in, his greatcoat billowing around him as he stopped a few steps inside and yelled, "Ianto!" Spotting his team members at their workstations he rushed up the stairs. "Where's Ianto? Did any of you talk to him? When did you last see him?"

"We… don't know," Toshiko admitted, knowing that neither Gwen nor Owen would dare to tell him. "I didn't talk to him today and I last saw him yesterday at about five when we left the Hub."

"Why that's typical Owen," Jack growled, "Calling it an early day while I had to endure that UNIT meeting until seven. Now, where's Ianto?"

"Well, if _you_ don't know…" Owen said, being hit by a balled up paper thrown by Toshiko and a death glare from Jack.

"Gwen," Jack said, "call Andy. Owen, you're checking the hospitals. Toshiko, use the police radio and CCTV to find his car. I'll join you in a few minutes. I've got to call the Brigadier and explain to him why I'm not in London anymore."

Furtively chuckling at his captain having fled the unloved UNIT meeting in order to check on his lover Owen turned to his phone to check the hospital admissions. Gwen and Toshiko also got busy.

xXx

"Swanson," the dark skinned detective inspector said as she picked up her phone. "Yes, sir… No, sir… I understand, sir. I'm on it. Of course, sir."

Cursing under her breath she got up from her desk.

"Barker! Gordon! Bank robbery. You're with me. Nolan, we'll need the bomb squad."

"The bomb squad, ma'am?" Gordon queried as he fell into pace beside his commanding officer.

"Yeah, according to an eyewitness the robber's wearing a bomb, extorting the money by threatening to blow it up."

"Shit. And I thought it would be a calm day."

That was what Swanson had hoped for as well, but Dame Fortune was obviously not on her side today.

xXx

Despite his calm appearance Ianto was only just short of panicking. In his instructions stood that he had to be out of the bank with the money at ten. So he had eleven minutes left. No, wait! He had to be in his car by then, ready to leave.

"Please listen," he said to the security guard. On the periphery of his vision he could see the clerk continue packing and he was grateful. "I didn't plan this. I'm the victim here, all right? I have to get the money and get out of here in time or the bomb will blow. So please, lower your gun. Give me the bag and let me go. Please."

"I… can't," the guard panted.

"Then I'll die," Ianto told him with the first hint of panic lacing his voice. "I don't know what they used. It could blow us all up."

The clerk squeaked but kept on filling the bag with banknotes.

"I… still can't let you pass," the guard said.

"You want to risk our lives?" Ianto groaned. "For money? No matter how much it is."

"My orders…"

"I don't care what your orders are," the clerk threw in fervently as she pushed the bag through to Ianto. "I don't want to die because you refuse to let him go! The bank's loss is covered by insurance. So let him go for goodness sake."

"But I…"

"Please, Donald!" the clerk begged.

Ianto looked at her with a strange mix of fear and gratitude and took the bag. "You want to stop me?" he asked Donald. "Then you've got to shoot me."

Banishing all thoughts of the guard's bullets tearing through his flesh out of his mind Ianto started for the door.

"Stop!" the guard shouted.

"I can't," Ianto whined, feeling tears brim his eyes. "I've got no time left. Please, let me go."

"Yes, let him go," the clerk helped.

Finally the guard lowered his gun. Ianto did not quite trust him, though. It looked as if the man still was ready to shoot at any moment.

"Go," Donald said.

Ianto did not need to be told twice. There were only eight minutes left.

So he turned around and headed for the door. As he shouldered through his blood froze in his veins.

In front of the bank half a dozen police cars blocked the t-junction, officers crouching behind them, directing their guns at Ianto.

Instinctively Ianto searched for any sign of Andy Davidson, Gwen's former partner. Unfortunately Ianto could not find any familiar face, instead he discovered two snipers and his heart jumped into his throat.

_They're going to kill me!_

Unwanted tears shot into his eyes and blurred his sight. Rapidly his heart beat into his chest.

"Sir, put the bag down and take your hands up behind your head," a male officer commanded.

"I can't!" Ianto shouted back, his voice shaking with anxiety. "Please! Let me go or I'll die!"

"Put the bag down and raise your hands," the officer ordered again. "You can't get away. So you had just as well give up. Now put the bag down."

Clutching the bag to his chest with one arm while gripping the instructions with the other hand Ianto started to feel light-headed. Anxiety corded up his throat. He knew the seconds ticked away. If he did not make it to his car in time he was dead.

_Every day we risk our lives to protect the planet from alien threats and __now __**this**__ shall be it?_ Ianto thought, squinting at the red dots dancing over his body. _Jack! Now would be the right moment for one of your dramatic entrances!_

Behind the police cordon he saw another car stop and more officers get out. A surge of hope flooded him.

"DI Swanson," Ianto called out.

tbc…


	4. Chapter 4

**Wrong Place, Wrong Time**

a Torchwood story

by RoadrunnerGER

_Disclaimer_: I don't own Torchwood, RTD and the BBC do. Long live Ianto Jones!

_Summary_: On an early night off Ianto Jones learned the hard way that when everything about your job is unexpected, it's the everyday dangers that could kill you. Janto, set s2

A/N: Thank you for your nice comments. I'm sorry for the delay, I was on sick-leave. Please enjoy the next chapter. Big thanks to _Kitsa_ and _Mandassina_. Enjoy!

**Chapter 4**

"He's not at any hospital," Owen declared. "That's a good sign."

"I couldn't find a trace of him," Gwen added. "Andy didn't know anything and no one else I called has seen him."

Jack rubbed the back of his neck. The worry was eating him alive. There was no sign that anything had happened to their support officer, but still Jack could not shake off that gnawing feeling that something was terribly wrong. He was feeling guilty for not having acted sooner. After a whole day of boring meetings Jack had enjoyed the banquet. He had been hungry and the buffet was fine. It was a joyful evening so it was not hard for Martha to distract him.

_Why didn't I call again earlier?_ Jack thought. _Ianto wasn't home at all last night. He's been missing since last night, since after they left work. Anything might have happened. Ianto, where are you?_

"The Brigadier wasn't thrilled," Jack said absently. "But he sure understands that an agent gone missing is more important than his meeting."

Gwen and Owen murmured their agreement. Right now they did not know what to do next and looked expectantly at Toshiko. She was typing away at her keyboard, her dark eyes intently directed at the screen.

"Jack?" she called.

"What did you find?" the captain demanded to know.

"The face-recognition software found something on CCTV," Toshiko said. "Here."

Standing behind her Jack looked over her shoulder at the monitor and paled.

xXx

_Oh, shit,_ was all DI Swanson could think when they arrived at the scene of the robbery. The moment she got out of their car and her trained eye seized the situation she knew that they had to act fast and determined.

She saw the barricade of police cars, the officers ready to shoot, and the detective constable who was in charge so far, and shuddered. Especially as she took in the sight of the young man in front of the entrance. Even though he obviously tried to reign in his emotions his features were a grimace of fear. Around his neck was a metal collar that had a box on the front. From this far Swanson could not notice more than that, but for all they knew the bomb was real. He carried a bag and a bunch of laminated notes. Then he looked at her.

"DI Swanson!"

_Crap!_

"Do you know him?" Gordon asked.

"We met a few times," Swanson said, striding over to the detective constable.

"What's his criminal record telling us?" Barker wanted to know.

"Nothing," Swanson barked. "He's a special ops agent."

"Special ops?" DC Harlan asked, having heard them talk as they approached.

"He's Torchwood," Swanson grumbled.

The three men groaned, "Torchwood?"

"Yeah," Swanson replied. "I bet that they'll show up any second."

"Swanson?" a desperate wail interrupted them.

They all turned to the young man in front of the bank. Out of big blue eyes he hopefully looked at Swanson.

"The bomb squad's on its way," Harlan told the newcomers. "They should arrive any minute."

"Okay," Swanson nodded. "What are his demands?"

"He wants to leave," Harlan snorted. "But we can't allow that. He's a bank robber threatening everyone with a supposedly real necklace bomb. We can't let him go."

"And what do you plan to do if the bomb squad doesn't arrive in time?" Swanson challenged. "Let him blow up in a controlled environment?"

None of the men had an answer to that.

"DI Swanson!" the young man shouted desperately. "Please! There are only eight minutes left!"

Swanson made a quick decision. "I'm gonna talk to him. Do you have a tracking device for the bag?" Harlan nodded. "Okay. I want your men to search the surrounding houses. If they want to detonate his collar when he doesn't leave in time someone must be watching him. Find that person. Try to find the frequency they're sending on."

"We don't have the equipment," Gordon said.

"Great," Swanson huffed. "Hopefully Torchwood does."

The men rolled their eyes.

"Well, we obviously aren't very helpful, are we?" Swanson told them wryly, getting her gun out and putting it down on the bonnet. Then she took her jacket off. "Okay. I'm gonna talk to him."

"You shouldn't go…" Harlan trailed off as Swanson already marched toward the bank.

xXx

A surge of relief flooded Ianto as he saw Swanson approach. He knew that his hopes probably were short-lived, but maybe she would understand and let him go.

Ianto looked at his watch.

Seven minutes left.

"DI Swanson. Thank you!" he said as soon as she was within earshot. "Please let me go. They'll detonate the bomb on my neck if I'm not in my car and driving in seven minutes… six and a half."

"Who wants to blow you up?" Swanson asked.

"I don't know," Ianto admitted. "I was kidnapped. Please, help me."

"Where are your spooky friends?" Swanson wanted to know.

"I… don't know," Ianto choked, feeling a sudden pang at the realization that nobody seemed to miss him so far.

"You think the bomb is real?"

Ianto stared at her as if she lost her mind. "I don't want to try and find out," he gasped. "Will you let me go now?"

"I… What if they detonate the bomb while you're on your way to wherever they send you?"

"And blow up their money?"

Swanson could not deny that he made a point.

"Please, Swanson. Help me. Let me go. I've only got six minutes left."

"Where do you have to go from here?"

"Can't tell you."

"You think they're listening in?"

Ianto shrugged. "I have _no_ idea. Don't want to risk it."

That was when they heard a motor howl. Seconds later tyres squealed on the asphalt as the black Torchwood SUV skidded to a halt right behind the police corral.

Unnoticed by Ianto Swanson rolled her eyes at the appearance of the Torchwood team.

Captain Jack jumped out of the driver's seat, striding purposefully over to Harlan and Gordon.

"Torchwood. Leave this to us."

"How dare you…!" Harlan started only to have a quite furious Jack Harkness get in his face, staring him down.

"If you don't want to be demoted back to walking the beat as a PC you'll better step aside and let us do our job," Jack snarled. "Now get out of my way."

Before Harlan could gather his senses Jack had vanished.

The captain walked toward Swanson and Ianto.

"DI Swanson," Jack offered her one of his trademark smiles, "I'd say it's always a pleasure to meet you, but the circumstances are definitely not joyful." Then he turned to Ianto, his smile softening, conveying his deeper feelings for the young Welshman. "Yan. How are you doing?"

"Trying to stay on my feet," Ianto groaned, but it was obvious that he was glad to see Jack. "I've got to leave in five minutes."

"And you will," Jack said, nodding at Ianto encouragingly. He and Swanson still were a few feet away from him.

"He will?" Swanson challenged.

"Yes, he will," Jack said, shrugging his greatcoat off. "See?" he yelled at no one in particular behind the police cordon and turned around. "No gun! Just wanna talk!" Directing his words to Swanson again he said, "Now have your men pull back so that Ianto can go to his car."

"But…"

"No buts, Detective Inspector," Jack cut her short. "We're taking over from here. Ianto will go as demanded. Now please, let him pass."

Groaning Swanson did as she was told and ordered the officers to stand down. They moved away but kept a watchful eye on the man with the bomb.

"All right, Yan," Jack said, sounding almost cheerful. "Let's go."

Ianto swallowed dryly and stepped hesitantly forward.

"You can do this, Yan," Jack encouraged him. "We're with you. Don't worry. We'll get you out of this."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. Everything will be all right. Now go!"

Jack quickly hugged him, shoving him in the direction of his car when he let go again. Still Ianto felt that something slid into one of his trouser pockets. Now he could not check on it, though. He had to get to his car and go.

Quickly Ianto shuffled through the cordon of officers and unlocked his FIAT. Jack was a few steps behind him. They shared another look as Ianto climbed into the driver's seat and pulled the door shut.

Then Ianto started the car, turned it around, and left the scene.

tbc…


	5. Chapter 5

**Wrong Place, Wrong Time**

a Torchwood story

by RoadrunnerGER

_Disclaimer_: I don't own Torchwood, RTD and the BBC do. Long live Ianto Jones!

_Summary_: On an early night off Ianto Jones learned the hard way that when everything about your job is unexpected, it's the everyday dangers that could kill you. Janto, set s2

**Chapter 5**

Driving through the streets of Cardiff Ianto did not think about saving the city from alien invaders. This time he thought about how to save his own hide.

Seeing Jack had given him hope. He knew that the team was there, too. They were tailing him now. Ianto was sure of that even though he could not see them. They had CCTV and they probably even had a tracking device.

His left hand slid into his trouser pocket and got out a small box.

_Great!_

Ianto glanced at his instructions. 'Turn right and the second left.' He did as he was ordered. By a hair's breadth he would have dropped the box, but he managed to keep it in his lap. Then he put the item in it to use.

'Behind the bridge right.'

_Where are they sending me?_ Ianto wondered not for the first time. The collar around his neck became heavy. For all he knew the bomb was live. Before they had chained him to the pipe for the night one of the men had activated it with the remote control. Since then a tiny light was glowing at the side of the box, he could see it every time he caught himself in the mirror while looking behind for his tail.

They had suggested he treated it as some kind of business transaction.

Ianto could have cheerfully strangled them for the remark. Unfortunately he had been tied up at that time.

When they released him to drive to the bank and collect the money he had shivered with fear. Ianto had managed to pull himself together for the difficult task and he had been surprised by himself that he remained as calm as he did. Only when the guard did not want to let him go his panic rose again… and doubled when he stepped through the door to see himself confronted with half of Cardiff's police force.

Now, knowing that his team was there to back him up, he could pretend that it was a Torchwood mission. That made him feel better.

And he knew one thing for sure: He did not want to be on the bad side of a pissed off Captain Jack Harkness.

xXx

And that Jack was. Swanson could clearly see it by the way he was driving and by how he was gripping the steering wheel.

"Wait a minute," she said as she saw files flicker over the monitor in front of her. This car was amazing. "Is this CRIMINT? This is the police computer system. You shouldn't have this."

From the backseat beside her Toshiko just smiled at her.

"You'd be surprised by what else we have access to," Jack told her.

Swanson huffed. "What are you going to do now?"

"We're following Ianto to the drop site. Then we'll get the kidnappers."

"Sounds easy enough," Swanson snorted derisively.

"You can believe me when I say that those bastards won't get away with what they did to Ianto," Jack said determinedly.

"I agree as long as you're talking about bringing them to court."

"Of course, DI Swanson," Jack replied.

Swanson did not believe a word he said.

"Yes! He did it!" Toshiko suddenly cheered.

"We're live?" Jack asked.

"Yes, we are," Toshiko confirmed. "Keep going. The direction's good."

Incredulously Swanson stared at the screen. In one window she saw a map of Cardiff, four dots moving on it. Three were blue, one was red.

"Gwen, take the next street left," Toshiko said. "Owen, you'll turn right now and then left. Then he's right in front of you. Yes, I am sure."

Swanson did not see any communication device and wondered how they were keeping in touch until she realized that the earpieces did not belong to mobile phones. The detective inspector looked at the monitor again where a second window showed a video transmission that came obviously out of a car. Swanson gasped when the angle of the camera slightly changed and a written instruction appeared on the video.

"Tosh, tell Ianto that we're hot on his trail, backing him up. Okay?" Jack said.

"Sure."

She typed something on her keyboard and in the video feed Swanson saw a text message, 'Hold out. We're with you.' A slight nod was her response.

"How are you doing this?" Swanson demanded to know, sounding incredulous. "Where's the camera? Don't you risk that it'll be discovered?"

"I seriously doubt that they will be looking for it in his eyes," Jack told her.

"His eyes?" Now Swanson was completely confused.

"He's wearing contact lenses," Toshiko explained.

"Contact lenses?" Swanson gasped. "But how…?"

"It's hard to explain," Jack said. "And no, you can't have a set."

Swanson rolled her eyes. She was not surprised by Jack's remark. She was stunned, though, by what the lenses could do. They did not only work as a camera but also seemed to send a GPS signal that allowed Toshiko to track Ianto's position. They could even send him text messages. She shook her head in wonder.

"Would you agree to administrative assistance?" Swanson queried.

"Like what?" Jack asked back.

"Like you and Toshiko coming to help us in case that we need something like your contact lenses," Swanson clarified. "In case of a kidnapping or something."

"Oh," Jack said with open incredulity.

"What?" Swanson pushed.

"Well, I thought you were offering your assistance."

"That I was…?" Swanson gasped with indignation. "Now that's typical for you, Captain! You think you're above the law. How about you come down from your high horse and face real life!"

"I do, Swanson, I do."

Goosebumps crawled down Swanson's back when her argument was interrupted by a meek sounding male voice that echoed out of the car's speakers, "Tosh? Are you there?"

"The lenses transmit sound, too?" she asked incredulously.

"Yes," Toshiko confirmed and typed _we are_ to send the message to Ianto. "He stopped. We probably have reached the delivery point."

"Okay," Jack said and found a place to park. "Where is he?"

"In an alley two blocks from here," Toshiko told him. "He's getting out of the car… Looks like a construction site… Huh? What's he doing now?"

xXx

Ianto turned right, steered his car into an alley and parked. About a hundred yards ahead was a small construction site. From what he could see, it looked like a new staircase had been finished and there was an open entrance to the cellar. They were also working on the façade.

"Tosh? Are you there?" he murmured.

Even though he was certain that his team-mates were not far away he yearned for confirmation. He wanted reassurance, wanted to know that he was not alone.

'We are,' flickered on the bottom of his field of vision.

Ianto sighed and nodded slightly. Then he pushed the door open, grabbed the bag, and got out of the car.

Purposefully he then walked to the construction site and to a pipe that protruded from the casting pit. First he pushed the bag with the money through the opening before he took just another deep breath and crawled head first into the pipe.

tbc…


	6. Chapter 6

**Wrong Place, Wrong Time**

a Torchwood story

by RoadrunnerGER

_Disclaimer_: I don't own Torchwood, RTD and the BBC do. Long live Ianto Jones!

_Summary_: On an early night off Ianto Jones learned the hard way that when everything about your job is unexpected, it's the everyday dangers that could kill you. Janto, set s2

A/N: Thank you for the story alerts and favs. They mean a lot to me. Still some feedback would be very nice. Please talk to me. Special thanks again to my beta _Kitsa_. Enjoy.

**Chapter 6**

The plastic pipe was just big enough to let Ianto through. Slowly he slid down to wherever it might lead. Just before he reached the other end he discovered he could not stop or even slow his momentum and shot out of the opening, dropping onto a heap of debris. Thankfully he hit the money bag first, but he slid sidewise with it and struck the building rubble with his knees.

"Ouch!"

With a surge of panic Ianto twisted around and sat up. Did he hit the collar? No. If he did it might have blown up already.

Breathing hard he sat there for a few seconds until he was able to scramble to his feet and look around. There was not much light. Automatically he grabbed the handle of the bag harder.

_What now?_

His instructions had said that he should go down the pipe. That was all he got. It was the last of the bunch of notes they gave him.

Slowly his eyes adapted to the twilight. Tentatively Ianto made a few steps toward another corridor and hit something with his shoe. Bending down he found a plastic crate. A note stuck to its top.

'Put the money into the crate, use the key to lock it, and take it to the conveyor belt.'

_Conveyor belt?_

It had to be further into the building. Ianto could hear machines running and assumed that that was where he had to go.

_Okay._

Squatting beside the case he tried to get the bag in, but it was too big.

"Well," he murmured to himself. "Now I'm sitting here in a cellar, a bomb fastened to my neck, stuffing bills into a bloody crate. Can anybody tell me why this happens to _me_?"

A sob escaped him and tears shot into his eyes. He wiped at them with the sleeve of his jacket. Tears would blur the lenses.

Ianto chuckled bitterly. _I have to finish packing._

On the bottom of the lenses appeared 'Easy'.

Once more he chuckled.

'Breathe.'

"Trying to," Ianto choked.

Desperately he tried to stuff all the money in. A few bundles would not fit. The lid did not close no matter how much he squeezed the paper.

"Drat!"

There was still money left and Ianto threw it back into the bag. That was when something dropped to the floor with a metallic clank.

"What…?"

Ianto searched for the item and found a small cylindrical object. For a moment he stared at it with confusion, but then he pulled the lid off again and pushed the thing between the banknotes.

Getting up Ianto took the now sealed crate and carried it out to the next corridor that opened into a hall where he found not only one conveyor belt but a whole maze of them.

'Barcode!' appeared as text message on the lenses.

Ianto looked down at the crate and noticed for the first time the barcode that was on a label on the top of the box. Turning the package around he had a closer look.

'Thanks,' Toshiko said.

Grinning wryly Ianto put the crate onto the conveyor belt and watched how it was carried away, vanishing in the maze of the distribution centre.

xXx

"What now?" Jack demanded to know.

"He put the package onto the belt," Toshiko said. "It's on its way to whoever the address belongs to…"

Toshiko typed on her keyboard and in a third window the barcode appeared, the program starting to decode.

"Who would have thought that they'd send him to a post office," Swanson remarked. "Once you get the address I can send our people there and…"

"You won't," Jack barked.

"Why shouldn't I?" Swanson snapped. "We could set up surveillance and catch the robbers when the package arrives."

"If it arrives," Jack grumbled. "They sent Ianto here for a reason. Maybe they know a way to intercept the package. We need to make sure we catch the right people."

"Ianto probably made that easier," Toshiko cut in. "Swanson, did you fasten a transmitter to the bag? Or someone at the bank?"

"I did," Swanson admitted. "When I went to him to calm him down. Right before you arrived, Captain."

"Well, I'm receiving the signal now, in addition to Ianto's."

"That's great, Tosh," Jack said.

"Is there anything you can't do with this thing?" Swanson asked, indicating the SUV and its equipment with a circling hand gesture.

"Fly," Toshiko answered dryly, but then her lips twitched up to a smirk.

"I see."

"We still need something like the Batwing," the computer expert chuckled. "Though Jack does not think that we would have use for it."

"I never said that," Jack defended himself.

"You did."

"I said that the Batwing itself was mere fiction," Jack explained. "I never said we couldn't build one."

Toshiko huffed. "I'll remind you."

Jack chuckled. "What's Ianto doing?"

"Standing next to the conveyor belt."

"And?"

"And nothing."

"Do you think they released him?" Swanson asked.

"I wouldn't think so," Toshiko murmured and typed a message. Her question obviously roused Ianto who started to run to the next exit he spotted.

"Where's he going?" Swanson wondered.

"We'll find out," Toshiko assured her, bringing up the map again. "Gwen? He's running toward your position… Yes, any second now… Good, follow him."

Jack started the car and threaded it back into traffic to keep up to Ianto and his team-mates.

xXx

With mixed emotions Ianto watched the package disappear between all kinds of mail. For a moment he zoned out, brought back to reality by Toshiko's text message. Only then he remembered what his kidnappers had told him before stuffing him into his car, 'Once you delivered the money walk to Bute Park and wait on the big lawn'.

_Wait on the big lawn._

First he had to get there. Ianto had no idea if he still had time. They had not given him a new time frame. They did not have to. His part was done.

_Why would they care?_

Ianto sprinted out of the post office and up the street. While he was running he racked his brain for why he should go to Bute Park. He could come up with only one explanation.

_They're going to blow me up there!_

_Leave no witness!_

His lungs were burning as he ran toward the park.

_What did the guy say to his partner about a timer? I couldn't overhear it all. But he said timer. I'm sure he said that. He must have built one in! Oh, shit!_

"Jack?" he gasped. "Jack, help me! Where are you? Jack?"

Ianto approached the park entrance and ran down a pathway. There was lots of open space in Bute Park.

"Please! Don't!" he panted as he stumbled out onto the huge lawn. His heart hammered in his chest and his lungs were burning. Fear almost paralyzed him. Then he screamed with desperation, "Please! I won't tell anyone anything! Let me go!"

Bile rose in his throat, and he fell to his knees, weak and sick with terror.

tbc…


	7. Chapter 7

**Wrong Place, Wrong Time**

a Torchwood story

by RoadrunnerGER

_Disclaimer_: I don't own Torchwood, RTD and the BBC do. Long live Ianto Jones!

_Summary_: On an early night off Ianto Jones learned the hard way that when everything about your job is unexpected, it's the everyday dangers that could kill you. Janto, set s2

A/N: The waiting is over… for now. ;) Thank you for your comments. And thanks to my faithful beta _Kitsa_. Enjoy!

**Chapter 7**

"Jack? I've parked just outside of Bute Park," Gwen reported over her earpiece, "Following Ianto on foot from here."

"Okay, Gwen," Jack confirmed. "We're almost there."

"Owen will catch you up in about a minute," Toshiko told him.

"Is anyone following the money?" Swanson wanted to know.

"Not right now," Jack said.

"It's still at the post office," Toshiko explained after a look at her screen. "I've got the address and the tracking device. They won't get away."

"No, they won't," Jack agreed with grim determination.

Hearing the rage in his voice made Swanson shudder. She could not sit and watch Captain Harkness take the law into his own hands.

"My men can follow the signal," the detective inspector suggested. "You don't have to do it all by yourselves."

"We may not have to," Jack replied, "but those men made it our fight when they decided to take Ianto hostage. They're not part of your jurisdiction anymore."

Swanson did not like the sound of that.

"For goodness sake, Captain. What do you plan to do with them?"

Pulling the car up on the curb outside Bute Park Jack stopped the SUV and turned to face the police officer. Jack's look hit Swanson like a blow.

"If they hurt Ianto they'll wish I resorted to only killing them," Jack hissed.

"Captain Harkness," Swanson said gravely. "You can't honestly think that you'll get away with whatever you plan to do to those men!"

"Oh, but we will, Detective. We will." Jack's smirk was rather menacing.

"Jack?" a gasp echoed out of the speakers. "Jack, help me! Where are you? Jack?"

"Jack?" Gwen called. "Ianto's in the park, on the first big lawn. Looks like he's losing it."

"What do you mean?"

"Please! Don't!" they heard him scream.

"Jack! He's stumbling. Tell me you blocked the signal."

"Sure we did!" Jack barked. "Tosh?"

"Of course! First thing I did. I sent him a message!"

"It doesn't look like he got it," Gwen told her. "Ianto?"

"Please! I won't tell anyone anything! Let me go!" Ianto screamed, as he fell to his knees.

Gwen saw a few walkers stop to see what the man was screaming about and feared he might cause a panic if Ianto began to shout about a bomb. So she started forward to get to her colleague and calm him.

As soon as Ianto spotted Gwen he crawled backwards.

"No! Stay where you are!" he panted.

She saw tears stream down his cheeks and her heart broke for her team-mate.

"Easy, Ianto," she said, showing her open palms. "Everything's all right."

"Nothing's all right!" Ianto snorted. "There's a bomb around my neck! So stay away from me or you'll die with me!"

"No one will die here, Ianto," Gwen said softly.

"It could blow up at any second!" he cried. "Go! Go!"

Gwen did not go. Tears of her own shot into her eyes at seeing their support officer like this.

"Get away from me!" Ianto screamed, scrambling to his feet and stumbling backwards in an attempt to avoid her closeness.

"You have to help him!" Swanson urged Jack, but he already pushed the door open and darted out of the car.

"I sent him several messages," Toshiko said and set the computer on standby. "But his vision's blurred. I don't think he read them."

Before Swanson could prod her Toshiko was out of the car and running to its rear. Out of the boot she took a box and followed Jack, already well ahead of them.

The captain ran down the path, his greatcoat billowing behind him. Ahead of him he saw Gwen as she tried unsuccessfully to calm Ianto down.

"Go!" Ianto screamed, his voice breaking. "Go! Save yourself! Leave me! Go!"

Trembling horribly Ianto could not stay on his feet. He fell again and vomited into the grass.

"Ianto!"

The young Welshman was breathing hard, and did not notice the man calling out for him at first. Finally hearing the familiar voice Ianto forced himself to look up and saw Jack storm up to him.

"No!" Ianto choked painfully. "Stay away from me!"

Jack remained unimpressed, bridging the last yards, and fell to his knees beside Ianto, pulling the young man into his embrace.

"Shhh, Yan. You're safe," Jack murmured close to his ear. He had to gather all his strength to hold the struggling Welshman. In his panicked state Ianto did not hear him, too busy trying to free himself. Jack did not let that happen.

"I've got you, cariad," he told him reassuringly, deliberately using the Welsh term of endearment and wrapping his arms around him. One of his hands trailed up Ianto's spine and to the back of his head. "Easy. The signal's blocked. You're safe. You're safe."

"I'm not! It's got a timer, too! They'll kill me!" Ianto sobbed. "You've got to let me go or the bomb will kill us both."

"They can't, Yan," Jack assured him. "It's harmless. You're safe. You're safe."

"You sure?" Ianto asked meekly.

Gently taking Ianto's chin Jack tilted his head up. "I am sure, Yan," he said and bent forward to kiss him.

Ianto wanted to pull away but Jack held him firm. Their lips met and Jack put everything he had into the sensual and reassuring kiss. It felt so wonderful and for a second Ianto could almost believe that Jack was right.

"Shhh," Jack murmured into the kiss. "Everything's all right, cariad. The signal is blocked. You're perfectly safe."

"Jack!" Ianto sobbed, clinging to his partner and clawing at his greatcoat. His fingers dug into the fabric and Jack sensed the fear and desperation tearing through his Welshman in the kiss they shared. This time there was more passion, more hope, and for a moment Jack allowed himself to enjoy the contact. Ianto melted into his embrace and finally relaxed a little.

"Jack?"

Unwilling to let go Jack ignored Toshiko.

"Jack!"

"What?" Jack groaned as he turned just enough to answer her.

"Let me take off that necklace," Toshiko said. "C'mon."

"Yeah. Sure," Jack replied and tried to sit back. Ianto did not let go of him, though. "Whoa! Easy, Yan!" Jack soothed, caressing Ianto's temples and kissing him again. "Tosh just wants to get rid of that nasty collar. All right?"

But Ianto shook his head and moaned something unintelligible.

"Don't be scared. You're safe now."

"All right!" a new voice mingled in. "Out of the way! Where's my patient?" Swanson stepped aside willingly while Owen pushed Gwen away to get to Jack and Ianto. "Hey! How're you doing, teaboy?"

"Bugger off, Owen!" Ianto groaned.

"The fuck I will," Owen replied snidely. "Now let me check your pulse." Prying one of Ianto's hands off the greatcoat Owen took hold of his wrist. "Still pretty fast," he admonished. "You won't go into shock on me, will you, teaboy?"

"Owen," Jack barked.

"What? I'm the doctor. It's my job to make sure he's okay."

"Stop calling him…"

"Teaboy?" Owen deadpanned. "But he is, isn't he?" Pulling out a small torch he shone into Ianto's eyes. "Looks normal."

"I think they look awesome," Jack murmured and turned Ianto's head to kiss him again.

"You're a sick man, Harkness," Owen growled. "Taking advantage of the boy."

"Can I take off that collar now?" Toshiko cut in sharply and pushed Owen aside. "Thank you." Squatting down beside the men she reached out for the metal necklace around Ianto's neck. In moments she managed to open the padlock and remove the bomb collar, placing it into the containment box she had brought from the SUV. "There you go. Now… resume cuddling."

Jack did not need to be told twice and pulled Ianto back in. This time it was Ianto who kissed him, fiercely and passionately. Fingers threaded into Jack's hair, pulling hard as Ianto's grip tightened. His mouth opened to attack Jack with his tongue. The captain let his Welshman have his way, responding to his eagerness with enthusiasm.

Shaking his head Owen got back up.

"Can't you wait until you're back in Jack's cave?" he scolded, rolling his eyes at the pair. "And what about the ruddy bastards that did this? Bad guys to catch, remember? Then you can shag each other senseless for all I care, as long as you wait til I've gone."

In response Ianto held on to Jack even stronger.

"You know," Jack mumbled between snogging, "I'd have no problem with… proving my love…"

"Love?" Ianto interrupted, nibbling at Jack's ear at that moment.

"Yeah, my love for you right here and now," Jack continued, "but I think, Owen's right."

"Don't want to stop," Ianto moaned as he kissed a trail along Jack's neck.

"I know," Jack whispered and did the same, kissing away the gruesome touch of the metal ring that had been around Ianto's neck. "Yan, how about we…" he whispered in his ear.

"Jack," Ianto gasped, but let reluctantly go of Jack. "I'll remind you."

"That won't be necessary," Jack smirked. "You ready to catch the bad guys?"

"As ready as can be," Ianto declared with fresh determination and got up first, holding out his hand to pull Jack up. "Let's ship their ruddy arses to jail."

tbc…


	8. Chapter 8

**Wrong Place, Wrong Time**

a Torchwood story

by RoadrunnerGER

_Disclaimer_: I don't own Torchwood, RTD and the BBC do. Long live Ianto Jones!

_Summary_: On an early night off Ianto Jones learned the hard way that when everything about your job is unexpected, it's the everyday dangers that could kill you. Janto, set s2

A/N: Thank you for your comments. I like to give Toshiko the room she deserves and I'm so glad I could get Owen right. I didn't know something like this really happened, but had seen a similar premise in episodes of different shows like Criminal Intent or Flashpoint. Thanks again. Enjoy.

**Chapter 8**

"No, Swanson," Jack said, stopping her with a hand on her chest as she followed him to the SUV. "For you, this is the end of the line."

"You can't be serious!" Swanson exploded. "I helped you! You owe…"

"I don't owe you anything," Jack grunted. "When we took over, we allowed you to come along, but that ends now."

"Afraid of having a witness?" Swanson challenged.

Snorting derisively Jack put his hands on his hips and straightened up to full height. Not for the life of her would Swanson show that she was indeed impressed by his imposing stature.

"Why should I be afraid, Detective Inspector?" Jack asked icily. "We're acting according to our jurisdiction. There's nothing dodgy going on. Not at all."

"I can come with you, then," she pouted and crossed her arms over her chest.

Standing behind Jack Gwen and Toshiko chuckled to themselves while Owen smirked wryly. Ianto stepped up to Jack and put a hand on the small of his back. That was all he needed to do to appease the captain. Realizing that his partner was safe with him calmed Jack down and he reached around Ianto's waist to draw him closer. Then he breathed a kiss on his cheek what made Ianto blush.

Jack chuckled.

"After snogging me senseless a minute ago you blush at being kissed on the cheek?" he teased and laughed out loud when Ianto's face turned crimson. "You're adorable," he murmured and, preventing him from turning away, kissed him full on the mouth. Even Owen snorting could not stop him. Once he released Ianto Jack turned to Swanson again.

"We won't kill them if that's what you're afraid of," he said. "But they deserve severe punishment for what they did to Ianto."

"They belong in jail," Swanson stated. "You can't bend the law to suit you."

"They do belong in jail," Jack replied. "But can you prove their guilt yet? Do you know their names?"

Swanson shook her head. "No."

"Once we find them we can bring them to justice," Jack explained. "We may not do it your way, but they will do the time they deserve." Saying that he hugged Ianto a little tighter.

"Jack, I need to breathe," the Welshman complained.

"Just making sure you're safe and sound here with me," Jack murmured and could not help but kiss him again.

"You're incorrigible."

"And you love me for that."

"Insatiable git."

Laughing out loud Jack pulled Ianto close to his chest, Ianto wrapped his arms around Jack's neck, and they lost themselves in another crushing kiss.

Clearing his throat Owen grumbled, "Guys, there are kids around here. Save it for later."

Parting from Ianto Jack chuckled. "Best opportunity for them not to adopt the same prejudices you grew up with."

"I'm not prejudiced," Owen growled. "In my opinion you can do whatever you want to do… that doesn't mean that I have to watch."

"You don't know what you're missing," Jack smirked, seeing Ianto turn crimson once more.

"If you say so," Owen grunted. "Can we get back to work now?"

Jack looked at Ianto who nodded.

"Yes, it's time. Tosh?"

Checking on her PDA she replied, "The box is still stationary."

"All right," Jack said. "Owen, you'll take up position at the delivery address while we go and examine whatever evidence there is. Gwen, you're on surveillance."

"Okay," Gwen confirmed.

Jack wanted to start toward the park's exit but Ianto did not move. When Jack looked at him questioningly Ianto nodded at Swanson. Jack shrugged and Ianto rolled his eyes. _What,_ Jack mouthed, gesturing impatiently. Ianto directed his gaze to the sky as if to call a higher authority.

"And to make sure that they have an iron clad case for the crown prosecutor," Ianto said, "DI Swanson will come with us."

_No,_ Jack shook his head.

"Oh, yes," Ianto said.

"Ianto," Jack groaned.

Taking Jack's hand Ianto steered him a few steps away from the group. "You know it's the right thing to do, cariad. DI Swanson stuck her neck out for us when she ordered her men to stand down. A jurisdictional fight could have cost me my head."

"We already had the signal…"

"I didn't know at that point, and neither did Swanson. I want those bastards to go to jail and I know that we can do that on our own. But this is not a Torchwood case, Jack…"

The captain wanted to interrupt, but Ianto did not let him, silencing him by putting a hand over his mouth.

"It's a police matter. If the men hadn't have taken _me_ we would have heard about it on the news like everyone else. We probably would have listened in to the radio call, but we would never have thought about interfering with the investigation. You agree so far?"

Jack nodded as his mouth was still covered.

"Good. So you're going to invite DI Swanson to join us to make sure the evidence is secured properly. We're going to catch the bad guys and she is going to see them charged." He paused for effect. "That will assure that our relationship with the police doesn't get any worse. Try to build up some goodwill for a change. Okay?"

He released Jack who looked at him sheepishly.

"Okay."

"Good. Go ahead."

"Can't you…?"

"Who's the boss?" Ianto challenged.

Biting his bottom lip Jack grimaced. "I am."

With an inviting gesture Ianto pushed Jack toward Swanson.

"DI Swanson, you're with me," Jack said. "So hurry up before I change my mind."

Rolling his eyes Ianto followed Jack and suggested, "How about having Gwen ring up PC Davidson? As he's her former partner, he would be a good choice to join her at the post office."

"Gwen? You heard that?"

"Yes."

"Good. Then you know what to do."

"Yep."

Once they reached the entrance Gwen and Owen each walked to their cars while Toshiko, Swanson, Jack, and Ianto went to the SUV.

"What are we going to do now?" Swanson wanted to know.

"We're going to the Hub in order to examine the evidence," Jack told her, threading the car into the traffic.

"That should be done properly by SOCO."

Jack glanced at the rearview mirror incredulously while Toshiko and Ianto shared a look of disbelief.

"I doubt that they are better equipped than we are," Toshiko said.

"But…"

"Really, Swanson," Jack chuckled. "You'll be surprised by what we can do."

Snorting with displeasure Swanson sat back in her seat.

"Is this the moment when you tell me that you'll have to kill me once I saw your base and what you're doing there?"

Laughing goodheartedly Jack replied, "Oh, we have other ways to assure our secrecy."

"Why am I not convinced those ways are any better?" Swanson challenged.

"You have my word that we won't harm you," Jack told her earnestly. "Really. It would be really bad publicity if something happened to you while you were our guest."

"I see," Swanson said thoughtfully. "So you wouldn't let me vanish like the bloke who murdered Sara and Mark Briscoe?"

"Why should we?" Jack huffed indignantly. "Though that's what might happen to Ianto's kidnappers."

"Jack," Ianto scolded.

"What?"

"Didn't we agree that we'll bring them to justice?"

"Yeah. Exactly what I was talking about."

Rolling her eyes Swanson leaned back in her seat, certain that she would not get any useful information out of them. She would have to wait and see for herself.

tbc…


	9. Chapter 9

**Wrong Place, Wrong Time**

a Torchwood story

by RoadrunnerGER

_Disclaimer_: I don't own Torchwood, RTD and the BBC do. Long live Ianto Jones!

_Summary_: On an early night off Ianto Jones learned the hard way that when everything about your job is unexpected, it's the everyday dangers that could kill you. Janto, set s2

A/N: Big thanks to all of you who have reviewed or added the story to your favourites. That means a lot to me. Feedback keeps the muse going. Lady Emma Wentworth: Thank you for your colourful review. I'd love to see it filmed! :D Here's another branch for a better hold for you. ;) Enjoy!

Special thanks to _Kitsa_ for beta-reading.

**Chapter 9**

"So this is where you locked yourselves in a few months ago," Swanson declared wryly as she rode down on the pavement stone, sensing the captain behind her bristle.

"We didn't lock ourselves in," Jack pouted.

"No?"

"No. I said _we're locked in our own base and we can't get out_."

"Same difference."

"It wasn't our doing! We were betrayed," Jack defended his team.

"Who betrayed you?"

"That's none of your business," he grumbled.

Swanson nodded, sensing that she better let it slide. "And what am I supposed to do now? Read out another book of poems?"

"That's not funny," Jack growled. "You know, usually people are impressed when they see the Hub for the first time."

Glancing back over her shoulder Swanson smirked, "Teasing you is so much more fun."

"Oh, really?"

Unnoticed by Swanson Jack used his wrist computer and with a clanking sound the lift stopped halfway down.

"Your equipment really is reliable," Swanson could not help but taunt.

"It is," Jack said and typed in another command. There was another clank and a moment later Myfanwy left her nest, squawking.

"What the hell…!" Swanson exclaimed as she first spotted the pterodactyl. She flinched when the prehistoric animal swept past her and was glad that Jack caught her.

Jack chuckled and restarted the lift that carried them safely down to the Hub's base level. An alarm sounded and they heard the cog door roll open to let Toshiko and Ianto in.

"Oh, you let Myfanwy out?" Toshiko said.

"Come here, girl!" Ianto shouted, making his way over to his desk to get a chocolate bar. Myfanwy landed on a railing and shrieked. "Yeah. Easy, love," Ianto soothed as he tossed her the chocolate. "I'll get you some fish, too."

He went for the storage room while Toshiko put the containment box on a table.

"I should defuse this," she said.

"Do that, Tosh. Coffee?" Jack looked questioningly to Swanson who watched Myfanwy with fascination. "DI Swanson? Coffee?"

"What? Oh, yeah. Coffee would be wonderful."

Ianto chose that moment to return with the fish. "Here, love. Enjoy." Skilfully the pterodactyl caught the fish he tossed in her direction. She shrieked with indignation when he stopped. "That's all," he declared. "You won't get more!"

"It's real… isn't it?" Swanson asked.

Jack had to turn around to her, noticing only now that she was being careful to keep him between her and the flying reptile.

"Yes, she's real," he said. "We caught her about two years ago." His smile revealed kind of a fatherly pride when he watched the animal. "She's grown since then."

Seeing that more treats were not forthcoming, Myfanwy took flight again and returned to her nest. Only when she was gone Jack noticed that something was wrong. His heart skipped a beat when he saw Ianto huddled on a flight of stairs, his face hidden behind his palms.

"Yan!" he called out and rushed to his side. "Are you okay?"

Without looking up Ianto shook his head.

Jack sat down beside him, squeezing in on the stairwell, and put an arm around his shoulders.

"By a hair's breadth I wouldn't have fed her ever again," Ianto choked.

"Shhh," Jack soothed and breathed a kiss on top of Ianto's head. "It's all right. You're safe."

"I'd be dead."

"You're here. Alive and well. I won't let anything happen to you."

"Don't make promises you can't keep," Ianto hissed, still not looking up.

"I'll do my damnedest to keep you safe." Jack hugged him.

"I didn't know you blocked the signal," Ianto moaned. "I should've known, but I never read the message."

"Oh, Yan. I'm sorry. You must have overlooked it in the chaos."

"Probably."

Ruffling Ianto's hair Jack hugged him closer and kissed him again.

"Hey, Tosh is dealing with the evidence. Why don't we go up to sit on the couch, Yan?"

Tentatively Ianto nodded.

"All right," Jack said cheerfully and stood to pull Ianto up. "Let's go then." Looking back over his shoulder he murmured. "Sorry, coffee will have to wait."

"No problem," Swanson replied.

She followed the men up the stairs to the rec area where they sat down on the sofa. Swanson strolled over to an archway, stopped by a railing. Looking down she found a fully equipped autopsy lab. She had to admit that she was impressed after all. The Hub was amazing.

She went back to the men and sat down in an easy chair on the other side of the coffee table. Taking out a notepad she intently looked at the Torchwood agents.

"Ianto? Well, is it all right if I call you Ianto, or…?"

"It's okay," the young Welshman replied.

"Can you answer me a few questions?"

"Can't that wait?" Jack huffed.

"It would be best to talk now while the memory is still fresh," Swanson explained. "What do you say, Ianto?"

"It's all right, Jack," he told the captain. "Let's do it now. Maybe…" His voice wavered. "Maybe you should record it."

"Could do," Jack murmured and brushed a strand of hair off Ianto's forehead, threading his fingers through the dark curls.

"Jack."

"Yeah, all right."

Not for the first time Swanson noticed the captain finger the strap on his left wrist. She wondered what he was doing.

"Okay," Jack said. "Go ahead."

"What did you do?" Swanson could not help but ask.

"I adjusted the CCTV," Jack shrugged and flashed one of his trademark grins. "You're on TV now."

"Oh, really?"

"Internal TV, yeah," Jack grinned. His voice softened when he asked, "Ready, Yan?"

"I think so."

"All right, Ianto," Swanson said. "Can you tell me then what happened before you got to the bank?"

Even though he had to choke on the memories Ianto answered readily, "I'd gone out for dinner at Alfredo's. When I got back to my car someone came up from behind, pushed a gun into my back, and ordered me to get in. A second guy climbed into the backseat and together they made me drive to a warehouse."

When he paused Swanson used the opportunity to ask, "Would you find that warehouse again?"

Ianto blushed a little. "Actually I'm not sure. I tried to memorize the way but I have to admit that the guns make my memory a bit dodgy."

"That's okay," Swanson assured him. "What happened when you reached the warehouse?"

"They hit me. I tried to escape but they caught me. Then they… put the collar on me. They… threatened to kill me. Then they cuffed me to a pipe, there was a mattress there, so they'd planned it. I spent the night on that mattress. They said the bomb was live already and… if I tried to escape I would die."

Wordlessly Jack just hugged Ianto again, stroking his temple soothingly.

"In the morning they gave me a sheaf of instructions and told me to go into the bank and get two million pounds. I went in and when I came out again you were there."

"What happened in the bank when you came in and told them to give you the money?" Swanson gently asked.

Ianto told her about how the guard stepped in. He shuddered when he reached the moment when he left the bank and spotted the snipers.

"In that second I thought I was dead, that either you or they were going to kill me."

Once more Jack hugged him and kissed his hair. "You're safe now."

"Yeah… Thank you, Jack." His gaze drifted to Swanson. "And to you, too. Thank you."

"I couldn't do much when your captain took over jurisdiction," Swanson all but pouted.

"The situation might have escalated if you hadn't calmed down your colleagues," Ianto told her earnestly.

Swanson was not sure how she should answer, knowing that she actually did not do much. Toshiko's return saved her.

"You look like the proverbial cat who ate the canary, Tosh," Jack smirked. "What do you have for us?"

"All sorts of things," she replied proudly. "Prints, DNA…"

"Names?" Jack prodded.

"Come and see for yourselves."

tbc…


	10. Chapter 10

**Wrong Place, Wrong Time**

a Torchwood story

by RoadrunnerGER

_Disclaimer_: I don't own Torchwood, RTD and the BBC do. Long live Ianto Jones!

_Summary_: On an early night off Ianto Jones learned the hard way that when everything about your job is unexpected, it's the everyday dangers that could kill you. Janto, set s2

**Chapter 10**

Police Constable Andy Davidson had been excited when his former partner called and asked him to meet her a block away from the post office. He always had wanted to know more about what Gwen was doing, what exactly Torchwood was dealing with, and probably get a job there, too.

So Andy was rather disappointed when he met Gwen and was asked to do surveillance on a post office with her.

_So much for the spooky-do,_ he thought.

Sitting in Gwen's tiny city hopper, waiting, and watching, was even more boring than walking the beat. Strolling the streets on the lookout for drunks, pickpockets, or troublemakers was more varied.

Sighing Andy shifted his position in the passenger's seat. The back of the post office was even more interesting than the front. So interesting that he was just short of falling asleep in the early afternoon.

"Showtime!" he heard Gwen mumble beside him. "Are you ready, PC Davidson?"

"Sure," he yawned, more or less startling back to awareness by Gwen's call. "Is it moving already?"

"Yep." Gwen checked her PDA. The little red dot was moving. "All right, Andy. It's the mail van that's leaving there. Here."

Andy caught the PDA she tossed him. On the display he could follow the van's movements.

Tapping her earpiece Gwen sighed, "Owen? Why were we even watching the post office if we have the address of delivery?"

"Hm, to be thorough and catch them red-handed?" the medic replied.

"I see." Gwen did not sound convinced.

Andy, though, listened in with interest. For him all this was a mystery. "Gwen, what are we doing here?" he asked.

"We're tailing two million pounds, love," Gwen said cheerfully, starting the car and going after the van.

"Two million pounds?" Andy echoed incredulously. Then he laughed. "You're kidding, right? Tell me the truth. It's one of your spooky-dos."

"No, it's not," Gwen assured him. "We're going to catch bank robbers."

"Oh, c'mon, Gwen. Stop pulling my leg! Torchwood doesn't chase ordinary bank robbers."

"Yeah, well, obviously we do."

"Gwen, I've arrived at the address," Owen told them.

"All right," Gwen confirmed. "We just left the post office."

"Okay."

Andy still did not get it. "You're seriously trying to tell me that we're doing police work?"

"Yes," Gwen replied and concentrated on the traffic again.

A moment later Jack was on their comms. system again.

"Gwen, Owen, we have the test results," the captain told them. "Where are you?"

"Heading down Albany Road," Gwen told him. "Owen's in position."

"What now?" Andy asked as Gwen stopped the car.

"Well, what does it look like? He's delivering a package, and we're gonna wait for him."

Snorting derisively Andy settled deeper into his seat.

xXx

"It's too easy," Swanson said as she squirmed in her seat to have a better look out front.

"Yeah, it is," Jack agreed, gnashing his teeth. "And I'd congratulate the guys if they hadn't included killing an innocent hostage in the process."

Swanson shuddered at the anger in his voice and realized that the captain was enraged by the ruthlessness of the robbers. That they chose Ianto Jones had been a coincidence. But that did not matter for Jack Harkness. He was infuriated by the utter callousness of it.

"Yeah," Ianto mused. "Kidnap a messenger. Force him, in this case me, to extort the money for them. Make him deliver the package to the post office and place the package under his own address."

"Exactly."

"And then kill the witness," Ianto added tonelessly. "Making the police believe that the bank robber accidentally blew up himself."

From the backseat Toshiko reached up to put one hand reassuringly on Ianto's shoulder and even though he was driving, and that at a breakneck speed that made Swanson uneasy but did not seem to faze the others, Jack placed his left hand on Ianto's thigh, squeezing lightly.

"They'll pay for it," Jack growled. "Owen, we've almost reached your position."

"All right," the medic answered.

"Owen," Jack said. "Go ahead if you want to."

"Oh, you can bet I want to," Owen snarled. "The guy will regret having messed with our teaboy!"

Both Toshiko and Jack smirked at the determination in the medic's voice. Ianto showed no visible reaction.

"Looks like they're not as clever as they think they are," Toshiko snickered. "His route will take him right to Ianto's flat."

"Yeah, we've almost reached Crwys Road," Jack agreed.

"And you're certain about his identity?" Swanson asked. "I mean, if he doesn't hand over the package to his partner, can we still arrest him?"

"As sure as can be," Toshiko confirmed. "The partial prints I found on the bomb necklace match his military record. He served six years and his last post was with the explosive ordinance disposal. After his discharge from the army he drifted around, different jobs..."

"And now he resorts to kidnapping," Jack grunted.

"His flat's in Stacey court and his partner lives only two blocks down the street, and guess who served in the same army unit?" Toshiko read off her monitor. She sounded surprisingly self-satisfied when she added, "We have prints and DNA. They're busted."

"We still need to convince the crown prosecutor," Swanson said. "And the evidence has to be airtight."

"Our evidence _is_ airtight," Toshiko scowled.

"Besides," Jack threw in, his voice steel cold with determination, "Once they've confessed they'll happily go to jail."

xXx

Owen really did not have to be told twice. Though his face was a mask of calm determination inwardly he was fuming. Those men had attacked one of the Torchwood team. They were going to regret it.

Once he had parked the car around a corner so that he would not be noticed at once, Owen marched to 441 Heol-y-Gwent in Cathays. With the alien universal key Torchwood liked to use he got into the house and strode up the stairs.

_You ruddy bastards will get what you deserve,_ Owen thought and reached out for the bell. From inside the flat he heard footsteps and a male voice called out, "Coming!"

_Yeah, come you filthy son of a bitch,_ Owen growled inwardly. _Just come._

The door opened and a man who definitely did not belong into Ianto's apartment stepped on the threshold.

"Hello?"

As a response Owen stepped out of the blind angle beside the entrance, his gun raised, muzzle almost touching the guy's forehead.

"Get back in," Owen snarled. "Slowly. And leave your hands where I can see them."

Completely at a loss of what else to do the man did as he was told.

tbc…


	11. Chapter 11

**Wrong Place, Wrong Time**

a Torchwood story

by RoadrunnerGER

_Disclaimer_: I don't own Torchwood, RTD and the BBC do. Long live Ianto Jones!

_Summary_: On an early night off Ianto Jones learned the hard way that when everything about your job is unexpected, it's the everyday dangers that could kill you. Janto, set s2

A/N: Thank you all for your nice comments as well as for your patience. I'm glad to be back and able to post again. Special thanks to _Kitsa_ and _Mandassina_. Enjoy! And Merry Christmas!

**Chapter 11**

"Who are you?" the guy gasped, puzzled.

"No," Owen snapped, pushing the gun toward the man's face, urging him further backwards, through the door to the living room where he bumped on the couch. "The big question is, who the ruddy hell are _you_?"

"I… I live here," Owen's captive choked.

"Oh, really?" Owen cocked his head to the side.

"Y-yeah. Ianto Jones… th-this is my flat."

"I see," Owen drawled. "I must say that you changed a lot since yesterday, _Ianto_, my long-time team mate at special ops."

Now the man paled considerably at the realization that he could not fool his captor who still directed a gun at him.

"Waiting for your partner?" Owen snarled. "He should show up any moment now."

At a loss of words the guy just nodded.

"Lay down on the floor," Owen commanded. "Now!" he barked when the man did not comply at once. Gripping his gun tighter he yelled, "C'mon! Kiss the floor!"

This time the man slid off the couch to kneel on the carpet. Hesitantly he bent forward.

"Move!" Owen shouted and emphasized his demand with a kick in his arse that sent the man sprawling. The medic put his gun away, nailed his captive down with a knee on his back and roughly jerked his arms backwards to bind his wrists with weevil-handcuffs.

That was when the doorbell rang again.

xXx

On his way up the stairs the man was whistling happily. The heavy box in his arms seemed to be weightless. Soon he and his partner could live the life of Riley. He had no real plan yet, but he imagined a tropical island, yummy cocktails, and smoking hot bikini-clad girls.

Cleaning up bombs had been exciting for about five minutes. Then he and his unit friend realized that every day could be their last. So the fascination of saving people by defusing mine fields faded rapidly.

The payment also was not thrilling. At least they did not think it was. In their opinion they deserved more. So they developed a plan.

Now it was working out fine.

_I'll just deliver the package, and when I'm off duty later we can celebrate._

There were only a few steps left. When he reached the landing the door was not open yet.

_Where is he?_

He reached out to ring again when the door swung inwards.

A grin cracked his features in expectation of his accomplice and crumbled instantly when he stared into the muzzle of a big gun.

Panic surged in him and he dropped the box.

Pivoting around he darted to the staircase…

…only to freeze on the first step at the sight of four more gun barrels.

xXx

Clad in a red jumpsuit the man sat in a corner of his cell that offered nothing except bare concrete walls, concrete floor, a barred narrow window high in one wall, and a massive red steel door. A bare light bulb hung in the safety of a solid cage.

For all one could tell the man looked bored. He had drawn up his legs and wrapped his arms around them. His fingers tapped the rhythm to a song he played in his head.

Suddenly he pushed himself up and started pacing.

"Hey!" he shouted. "Hey! Who the fuck are you? This is one ruddy bad joke!"

He hammered against the door.

"Hey! This isn't funny anymore!"

'Step back from the door,' a computer distorted voice echoed out of the speakers under the ceiling.

"You think you can scare me?" the man yelled. "Good luck! Show your face, you coward!"

'Step back from the door,' the disembodied voice repeated.

"Okay, okay." Waving his hands theatrically he stepped back. "Better?"

The voice did not answer but started to recite, 'This is a UNIT facility. Your rights as a citizen have been withdrawn. You will be held here indefinitely. We are not required to provide you with legal representation. Anything you say will be recorded. You will be allowed no communication with any person or organisation outside this facility. There is no right of appeal. If you fail to comply with the rules, we are authorised to discipline you.'

"What? Are you kidding?" Once more he hammered against the door. "Let me out!"

'Step back from the door.'

"No!" His fist banged against the metal.

'Step back from the door.'

"Fuck you," he spat and started pacing.

In the next cell his partner reacted differently to the announcement of the creepy speaker voice. He shuddered with anxiety. It had not quite sunk in yet, but he sensed that this was anything but a joke.

Right outside the cells was a huge hall with a high flat ceiling that was supported by thick concrete pillars. It looked like a bunker. No natural light was falling in. Numerous doors led to cells similar to the ones the men were locked up in. Behind a steel gate a corridor connected the cell block with the rest of the facility.

"You're enjoying yourself, right?" Owen teased.

"Anything wrong with that?" Jack challenged.

"Nope. Just stating a fact," Owen shrugged. "You're having fun."

"Yep."

Together with Jack and Owen the rest of the team sat in the observation room and watched the men in their matching jumpsuits. Everyone but Andy who had backed out once he knew this had nothing to do with Gwen's spooky-dos.

"So this is your plan?" Swanson wanted to know. "Lock them up here and throw away the key?"

"For now," Jack nodded. "Oh, actually it was Tosh's idea." Looking over his shoulder the captain smiled proudly at the computer expert and winked.

"So what are you going to do?" Swanson prodded.

"We'll wait," Jack declared innocently and toyed with the idea of switching on the mike and giving them an order. Right now he could not think of anything, though.

"How long?"

"Until they're ready," Toshiko chimed in, sensing a slight flutter in her stomach at not so pleasant memories. Yes, she had reminded Jack of what UNIT had done to her, and at that moment the rage about what those men had done to her friend had made her want to see them suffer, but seeing the plan take on shape now made her uneasy.

"I'm in no hurry," Ianto said flatly, his gaze resting on the monitors. His features did not give away what he might be thinking.

"You can't keep them here indefinitely," Swanson argued. "They have rights."

"We have rights, too, Cathy," Jack told her, turning around with his office chair to face her. "Like it or not, this is our way to deal with them."

"You'd prefer us killing them?" Owen teased. "We could arrange that."

"Owen," Jack admonished the medic, though the menacing grin that split his features a second later spoke another language. More matter of factly he stated, "First of all we have the right, and duty, to protect people from individuals like them."

"You still can't keep them here," Swanson insisted. "Not like that. Not forever."

Jack rolled his eyes, thinking that it probably was a mistake to let the detective inspector participate.

"We do have the right, DI Swanson," the captain gravely told her. "By decree of the Crown Torchwood has every right we deem to be necessary."

The whole team now watched Jack and Swanson. They were infinitely conscious that they had those rights. They also knew that they had to wield them carefully, which meant that they had to keep an eye on Captain Jack, especially where Ianto was concerned.

"There's nothing in those cells," Swanson objected. "There's no chair, no table, no bed. They don't even have a toilet!"

"They have a bucket," Toshiko threw in.

"But no toilet paper!" Swanson frayed. "Not even a washbowl!"

"They have everything they need," Jack cut in brusquely. His features were dark. "And nothing more than they deserve."

"They didn't even get food or water," Swanson argued. "You want to starve them?"

Jack stared at her incredulously for a moment. Then his gaze drifted over to Ianto and his voice was heavy with worry when he asked, "Yan? Did you even have anything to eat?"

"Not since last evening," the Welshman replied. "I only had some water."

"Oh, Yan. I'm sorry," Jack said, contrite. "We… I should have taken better care of you. We'll take a break and have something to eat."

"I'll get us something," Toshiko rushed to offer.

"What about them?" Swanson asked. "You'll get something for them, too, right?"

Silence settled for a few seconds.

Jack shook his head.

"Thank you, Tosh," the captain said. "We'll meet you in the staff room."

"All right," she confirmed and turned to their support officer as she got up, "What would you like, Ianto?"

"Don't make too much fuss, Tosh," Ianto said with a sad smile. "Just get us some food. We could even go to the canteen here."

Jack looked up startled. "Nah," he shook his head vigorously.

"I'll get Chinese," Toshiko declared dryly and headed out of the observation room before anyone could question her decision.

tbc…


	12. Chapter 12

**Wrong Place, Wrong Time**

a Torchwood story

by RoadrunnerGER

_Disclaimer_: I don't own Torchwood, RTD and the BBC do. Long live Ianto Jones!

_Summary_: On an early night off Ianto Jones learned the hard way that when everything about your job is unexpected, it's the everyday dangers that could kill you. Janto, set s2

A/N: Finally another chapter… and there are still a few to come. My New Year's resolution is to try and post more regularly… Thank you all for the support. Enjoy! Happy New Year!

**Chapter 12**

After a while Gwen and Owen started for the staff room where they planned to have their late lunch. It was Owen who gestured Swanson to come with them which she grudgingly did. Once more she had tried to convince the Torchwood agents to give their captives food, too, but they would not comply. She glared daggers at the captain when she trailed after the former police constable and the medic.

Jack also got up from his seat to follow them but stopped under the doorframe when he noticed that Ianto did not come with him. Looking back he saw the young Welshman at the desk, staring at the monitors.

"Yan?" Jack softly said. "Come with us."

Ianto shook his head.

"Don't," Jack murmured as he crossed the short distance and put his hands on Ianto's shoulders. "You don't have to watch them. They won't go anywhere."

"I know."

The answer was spoken so tonelessly that Jack shuddered. Instinctively he wrapped his arms around Ianto and kissed the back of his neck.

"Then what's keeping you?" the captain mumbled against Ianto's skin.

"I… don't understand," Ianto said so lowly that Jack had difficulty hearing it.

The captain hesitated, not one hundred percent sure what Ianto meant. He tried to put himself in Ianto's position and got an idea of what was bothering his partner.

"How they could do this to you?" Jack murmured.

Ianto choked. "To anyone…" he trailed off and took a shuddering breath, "yeah, to me."

"Ask them."

That simple suggestion made Ianto laugh miserably. He shook his head.

"No, I can't."

Jack was not willing to accept that answer. Straightening up he took hold of the office chair Ianto sat in and turned it around so that the young man faced him.

"Why not?" Jack challenged.

Ianto could not help but stare up at Jack. It was not easy to hold his partner's gaze, then he dropped his own to his lap, fixating on his fingers for a moment, before he looked at the monitor again. Finally his gaze returned to Jack.

"Do you think I'm a coward?" Ianto answered with a question of his own.

"I didn't say that," Jack pouted. "I wanted to know why you couldn't ask them."

For another moment Ianto remained silent. Then he evaded Jack's scrutinizing look again.

"Because I don't know what I'll do when I get into the same room with them," Ianto admitted and his voice suddenly shook with suppressed rage.

Now Jack understood that he misconceived Ianto's gloomy mood. All of a sudden he remembered a different Ianto Jones, one who tried to save the love of his life, ready to defend her against anything and anyone. An Ianto Jones who was ready to fight to the limit. A dangerous Ianto Jones.

"I know," Jack declared steadfastly and was surprised to see a shocked expression appear on Ianto's features. With both hands he cupped the Welshman's face. "I know that I can trust you to do the right thing. I'm not worried about you joining the interrogation. You are a remarkable man, Ianto Jones. You have _no_ reason to doubt yourself. I don't."

Jack was very well aware that Ianto could be dangerous, but he refused to believe that he could do something stupid and harm the men in their custody. Still, as their victim, Ianto had every right to want revenge, and, as much as he wanted to affirm his trust in the younger man, Jack also wanted to reassure him that his feelings were perfectly normal, at least for now.

"Anything you could do to them, they would deserve," Jack told him.

"That wouldn't make it right," Ianto said stiffly.

"I suppose not," Jack agreed easily.

Staring up into Jack's blue eyes Ianto took both his wrists, prepared to argue with him. Sensing that Ianto was about to start a discussion Jack bent forward and sealed his lips with a kiss.

"Jack…"

"Shhh," Jack said and deepened the kiss. His right hand threaded into Ianto's dark and thick curls, his fingers clawing at his hair. With his tongue he pushed for entrance and felt Ianto resist. So he let his left hand trail down Ianto's spine, teasing a special spot he knew would rouse the Welshman's fire.

"Oh, Yan, I'm sorry," Jack moaned between kisses. "I should've taken better care of you. I should've called you like I promised. I should've known something was wrong."

"You couldn't know, cariad," Ianto mumbled, his own hands starting to caress Jack.

"But I should have known!" Jack panted and gripped him tighter. "I should keep you safe, Yan. I love you."

"You love me?" Ianto gasped.

"Yes, I do, Yan," Jack replied. "And I'm so sorry that I wasn't able to admit to it sooner."

Ianto choked.

"Really, Yan. I've been such an idiot."

"You've been?" Ianto murmured into a kiss, unable to suppress a chuckle. "You mean you've stopped being one? How did I miss that?"

Jack snorted with amusement. "Ianto Jones," he admonished good-naturedly. "You're being naughty."

"I'm being naughty?" Ianto huffed. "You're groping me and _I'm_ being naughty?"

"Yep," Jack snickered and let his hand glide under belt and waistband of Ianto's trousers, teasing the spot right at the onset of his butt. Before Ianto could further complain he sealed his lips with another heated kiss. Then he wrapped both his arms around the slender body, searching for a good hold to pick Ianto up.

"Jack!" Ianto yelped when he was lifted out of the chair and put down on the tabletop.

Between kisses Jack fumbled Ianto's shirt buttons open and pushed both jacket and shirt off the young man's shoulders. His vest followed suit. Jack dropped all the garments on a chair and bent Ianto backwards. With both hands Jack caressed Ianto's chest, his palms roaming over it in circles, closing in on the nipples. His fingers closed over the firm nubs, kneading them to erection.

Ianto groaned.

As Jack bent down to kiss his Welshman he heard his stomach grumble.

"Oh, Yan. I'm so sorry. You're hungry."

"I'm… more than just… hungry," Ianto grunted and grasped Jack's dark brown hair to pull him down into another kiss. The fingers of his free hand clawed at Jack's shirt. He could hear the seams pop.

"Whoa!" Jack gasped, squirming against Ianto. This was so wonderfully spontaneous.

Suddenly Jack stopped.

"What?" Ianto complained.

"Maybe Owen's right," Jack panted, trying to pull back. "I shouldn't take advantage of you."

Ianto issued a pained laugh…

…and wrapped his legs around Jack's torso.

"I insist on you finishing what you've begun," he snarled, his fingernails digging painfully through Jack's shirt. Once more he clawed at Jack's hair to pull him into a kiss.

And what a kiss that was. It rendered Jack breathless. Aggressively Ianto pushed for entrance and ravaged Jack's mouth with his tongue when it was granted.

Jack felt Ianto search for his buckle and helped him to open his belt before he unbuckled Ianto's. His button and zipper followed.

Heatedly Jack grabbed Ianto's hair, holding him down on the table when he parted from the kiss. His tongue drew circles on Ianto's hot skin, moving along his jaw and down the neck to his chest. There Jack found a nipple and suckled on it, making Ianto buck his hips against him. Jack chuckled which tickled Ianto and made him squirm.

"Jack!"

"Yeah," Jack grunted, continuing further down. A moment later he had to release Ianto's hair. Instead he took his waistband with both hands and pulled on the trousers. They slid over the Welshman's firm buttocks and revealed his striving core.

"You're beautiful," Jack rasped.

"And you're wasting time," Ianto panted, using his legs to pull Jack against him. He ground his hips against Jack's groin.

"All right," Jack snarled and wriggled out of Ianto's hold to set to work. It did not take long until Ianto cried out with pleasurable agony.

tbc…


	13. Chapter 13

**Wrong Place, Wrong Time**

a Torchwood story

by RoadrunnerGER

_Disclaimer_: I don't own Torchwood, RTD and the BBC do. Long live Ianto Jones!

_Summary_: On an early night off Ianto Jones learned the hard way that when everything about your job is unexpected, it's the everyday dangers that could kill you. Janto, set s2

A/N: First of all I want to thank all my readers and REVIEWERS. I'm sorry for not replying to each of them. I know I should, but most times I'm glad to have time for working on my stories. I appreciate every comment, especially concrit. They help the muse to keep going. Thank you very much.

Special thanks to my beta readers _Kitsa_ and _Mandassina_, and to _Nikkiesheepie_ for the "last minute help". ;)

**Chapter 13**

In the staff room the remaining Torchwood agents and Detective Inspector Swanson could hear what was going on in the observation room. Owen rolled his eyes and tried to think of something useful to do. Gwen hid her smirk staring at a corner of the room. Swanson just shook her head.

"Obviously the rumours about your captain are not exaggerated," she stated.

Owen just grunted.

"He's not that bad," Gwen shrugged. "Jack cares. He really does."

Swanson could not help but listen.

"So… they're a couple?" she queried.

"A couple of something," Owen grumbled, earning a light smack on the arm from Gwen. "And aren't they sweet together?" he added sarcastically.

"Owen," Gwen chided.

"What? My teeth still hurt from the display at the park."

"Aren't you glad that everything turned out well?" Gwen asked. "Those men could have killed Ianto! Jack's so relieved that he's all right."

"Yeah, yeah. It's ok," Owen warded her off with a waving hand gesture. "They can do whatever they like. I'm just worried for the teaboy, all right? Yeah, I admit to it, I'm worried for Ianto Jones. Those men put him through the wringer. He should have something decent to eat and then get some rest."

"You're right, they're old enough to know what they're doing," Gwen said.

"He doesn't always seem to know when he's around our oh-so-popular captain," Owen groaned and tried to find a more comfortable position in his chair.

"Oh, c'mon. Give him some credit. He's matured a lot since Jack's timeout."

"I know." Owen rolled his eyes.

"You're jealous," Gwen teased.

"What? Of the teaboy? Nah!"

The Torchwood agents settled down in their seats and fell silent.

Swanson, though, sensed that there was more going on than what was said. They worked in a small team and had to know each other quite well. The seasoned detective inspector knew that Gwen's teasing was not as harmless as it sounded. She still had no clear idea of what Torchwood was doing, but she knew it was dangerous. Risk had welded them together. Just like the force welded police officers together. That was something Swanson could understand and empathize with.

xXx

Jack smiled lovingly as he carried Ianto into the staff quarters of the UNIT facility and lowered him on one of the beds. The Welshman was fast asleep. So Jack freed him of his shoes and made sure he was lying comfortably before he pulled up the covers.

"Sleep well, Yan," he murmured and breathed a kiss on his forehead.

For a moment Jack just stood beside the bed and watched his sleeping partner. Taking a deep breath first he let it out slowly again. A shudder ran down his spine. He had trusted Toshiko to block the signal, he trusted Owen and Gwen to catch the men, he trusted his team and himself to save Ianto. Still it had been a close call. At least it felt like that.

That gave Jack the creeps.

"Forgive me, Yan," he murmured. "I was not there for you when you needed me most. I'm sorry."

Jack brushed his hand over Ianto's dark curls and decided to let him rest. He went over to the break room to meet his team.

"Not a word," he grumbled as he walked in and sat down at the table.

"I didn't intend to say anything," Owen said innocently.

For a while they just sat together, then Toshiko arrived with their meals.

"Where's Ianto?" she asked.

"In bed," Jack told her. "He needs some rest."

"Yeah," Owen snickered.

Toshiko glanced at the medic and at the captain and knew what had happened. "You're incorrigible," she shook her head.

"It takes two to dance, you know," Jack growled.

"Here, I got your favourite," Toshiko said and put a Styrofoam box down on the table in front of Jack. "Pork Szechwan for you, Owen… and chicken sweet and sour for you, Gwen," she distributed the other boxes. "I hope you like that, too, DI Swanson."

"Sounds perfect," Swanson agreed and opened her box. Picking up chopsticks she dug into her food. "Mmm, I didn't realize how hungry I was. Thank you, Agent Sato."

"Toshiko."

"All right, Toshiko."

They ate their meals in silence. Nobody really felt like talking. As soon as he was finished Jack got up.

"Gwen, we're going to wait some time longer. Why don't you go home to Rhys? Nothing will happen here soon. You could head home, too, Kathy. We're in no hurry."

"I'll wait with you," Swanson declared. "Why don't you want to interrogate them now?"

"We'll wait for Ianto," Jack said, his tone leaving no option for discussions. "I've got an errand to run. I'll be back in about three hours."

xXx

Once Jack returned he stopped by at the observation room where he found Owen, Toshiko, and Swanson before he headed to the staff quarters. There he sat in a chair, watching his beloved Welshman sleep.

Ianto lay on his side now, his head resting on his right upper arm. His left hand supported his forehead and his left leg was pulled up to stabilize his position. The covers were scrunched up between Ianto's back and the wall.

That made Jack smile.

_He's so beautiful,_ the captain thought as he let his gaze wander from the feet up over the calves, thighs, and to his bottom where he let his gaze linger. From the waist his eyes followed the spine to Ianto's neck and along the jaw line to his soft lips that tempted Jack to kiss him.

Ianto's eyes were still closed, but Jack sensed that he was about to wake up. So he left the room to return a few minutes later to sit back down in his chair and to resume watching.

A moment later Ianto stirred and opened his eyes. Blinking a few times he focused on Jack.

"Hey."

"Hey," Jack smiled lovingly. "I have coffee."

Ianto smirked. "Yeah, I can smell it." Pulling his legs up he sat up in the bed and leaned against the wall. He accepted the mug and sipped at the coffee. "Ah, typical UNIT," he grimaced.

Jack laughed.

"I heated up your food, too," the captain told him and picked up the box from the table diagonally behind him. "Here."

"Thanks," Ianto murmured and took the box. Chopsticks stuck in the mix of noodles, meat, and vegetables. He gave Jack the mug and grabbed the chopsticks to tuck in. "Gotta thank Tosh for picking this. It's good," he mumbled with full mouth.

Jack grinned.

"You're good friends."

"Yeah," Ianto nodded. "I should tell her and the others more often."

"Getting sentimental?"

"Surprised?" Ianto mumbled between bites. "I've had a near death experience."

"Oh, Yan." Jack put his hand on Ianto's thigh. "I'm sorry you didn't see Tosh's message. She assured me that blocking the signal was the first thing she did."

"I believe her," Ianto said. "I guess I overlooked it. Maybe she sent it when I had only one lens in. That could be the reason why I didn't see it. Or I was concentrated on traffic." He chewed on his vegetables. "I don't blame anyone but those bastards in the cells."

Jack smiled sadly.

"They'll get what they deserve."

Ianto nodded.

"Are you ready to face them?" Jack asked and promised innocently, "We'll keep them as long as you need."

"Jack," Ianto groaned.

"Take as long as you need, Yan," Jack said. "Oh…" he turned to look at the hooks beside the door, "I brought you something else, too."

Ianto followed Jack's gaze and grinned. "Your favourite of my suits?"

"I thought it's your favourite," Jack said, surprised.

Ianto's smile took on a mischievous touch. "It became my favourite for a reason."

Jack's smile widened. "Because I love to see you in it so much?"

"You just love getting me out of it," Ianto chuckled and took his last bites of noodles.

"True," Jack admitted, pretending to pout. "But it also suits you very well, especially together with the dark red shirt. I love you in red. Red is your colour." Then he got up from his chair. "I'll go to the observation room. Take a shower and join us when you're ready."

Once more Ianto nodded.

"Thank you, Jack. I'm already feeling better. The rest and the food helped."

Jack scowled at him.

"Your distraction helped, too," Ianto chuckled. "But I won't put it on the official list."

tbc…


	14. Chapter 14

**Wrong Place, Wrong Time**

a Torchwood story

by RoadrunnerGER

_Disclaimer_: I don't own Torchwood, RTD and the BBC do. Long live Ianto Jones!

_Summary_: On an early night off Ianto Jones learned the hard way that when everything about your job is unexpected, it's the everyday dangers that could kill you. Janto, set s2

**Chapter 14**

Darkness had fallen.

That was all he could tell for sure. The light outside the tiny barred window had faded and the light bulb switched on. He could only guess how late it was.

His stomach claimed that it was pretty late.

Twice he had relieved himself into the bucket beside the door. This time the urge was of a different nature and he loathed the idea of using the bucket for the bigger business.

Pacing up and down the cell was the only way he could move as long as he did not feel like doing press-ups or squats. He felt caged.

He was pretty sure that was what he was supposed to feel.

His grumbling stomach once more reminded him that he was hungry.

Frustrated he kicked at the bucket, realizing a second later that that was a bad idea as it upset and spilled its content over the whole cell-floor.

"Fuck."

As the cell did not contain any furniture the floor would be his bed. There was no washbowl or paper, so he could not mop up the mess.

He rolled his eyes and slapped the bare concrete wall with his flat hand.

"Ouch!"

That was when the light went out.

"Great. And now?"

Now he stood there in complete darkness.

"Hey! You out there! What am I supposed to do now?" he screamed.

There was no response.

Grumbling to himself he resumed pacing. His limbs grew tired and so did he. Still he hesitated but in the end he was left no choice.

He sat down on the floor.

There he sat and stared in the darkness. The tiny window did not let enough moonlight in to dip the cell in shades. It was just dark.

It made him shiver.

A moment ago he had been tired, but now he drew up his knees to hug his legs to him protectively. His mind played tricks on him, colours sparkling in the dark like fireworks. Now he was wide awake, shuddering, fearing that the cracking colours would turn into pictures to haunt him.

Sweat started to bead on his forehead and he wiped it away with the back of his right hand. Then he hugged himself again. His stomach churned. He was not hungry anymore, he was scared.

"Anybody there?" he murmured. "Hello?"

Somewhere in the back of his mind a voice whispered to him that a former soldier should not be that whiny. That did not change the fact that he was shivering, though.

"Hello?" he called out. "Why doesn't anyone come? I want a lawyer! Talk with me!"

He got no response.

He bit into his fist and ruffled his hair.

He thumped his head against the concrete wall.

He knew that he would not sleep that night. Too oppressive was the darkness in the small cell. The smell of his own urine burnt in his nose.

For a moment he fell asleep…

…and startled awake, his heart beating wildly.

_Who are they? Why is nobody coming for me? What do they want? What is UNIT? They're not seriously saying that they'll hold me indefinitely, are they?_

Once more he shuddered.

"Why don't you talk to me?" he called out.

A single tear ran down his cheek and he choked the others back. Closing his eyes he tried to find sleep again. It took a while until he fell in a restless sleep. It was deep enough that he did not hear the door unlock, but he sat up straight when the steel door smashed against the concrete wall.

He blinked a few times, unable to comprehend that the door to his cell was open.

"What…?"

'Get up!' the synthesized voice from the speaker commanded.

Swallowing his anxiety he complied.

'Leave the cell and go to the table.'

There was no reason why he should not follow the order. Still he found himself unable to move, as if his feet were rooted to the floor.

'Leave the cell and go to the table,' the voice repeated.

Swallowing hard this time he pulled all his courage together and stepped forward, through the door, and found himself in a huge concrete hall with many pillars. At the far end of the hall was an intense light. So he walked toward the silhouettes of a chair and table.

As he came closer he could also recognize the shadows of four people who sat on the other side of the table. Even though he was curious about what was going on he was scared to speak.

"Sit."

He could not recognize who had spoken, but it was clearly a male voice. There was nothing else he could do, so he dropped down on the chair. Caught in the bright spotlight he felt quite vulnerable.

_What are they going to do?_

"Look at the green light," the same voice commanded.

So he looked straight ahead at a green light that he found atop a metal structure that appeared to be technical equipment. He could not tell what it was, though.

"Your name is Theodore Davies?"

"Um… yeah, it is," he murmured.

"You will answer loudly and clearly," the voice ordered. "Your name is Theodore Davies?"

"Yes."

"Yes, _sir_."

"Yes, sir," he repeated and felt like he was back in the army. The man behind the machine sounded like his old sergeant. He could see the low reflection of a green light at the back of the device.

"You live 254 Newport Rd, South Glamorgan, Cardiff?"

"Yes, sir."

"Answer the next question with yes. Are you Prime Minister of the United Kingdom?"

Now he knew what he was dealing with. The device the stern man was sitting at was a lie detector. Well, this seemed to be an interrogation, so what were they doing with a ruddy lie detector? They could not just go ahead and do this to him. He had rights.

"I want a lawyer," he said.

"Answer the next question with yes," the man repeated impassively. "Are you Prime Minister of the United Kingdom?"

Defiance woke inside of him. "Hey, I have the right to have a lawyer. I won't talk to you without a lawyer!" He leaned to the side to have a better look at the people at the table. Were two of them women?

The man remained unmoved, "Your rights as a citizen have been withdrawn. We are not required to provide you with legal representation. Anything you say will be recorded. Answer the question with yes. Are you Prime Minister of the United Kingdom?"

"You can't do this to me!" Davies croaked.

"We are not required to allow you to plead your case. Refusal to participate in this interview will result in you being held here indefinitely. The decision would be final. There is no right of appeal."

Davies choked. The man surely did not mean what he said, did he? That could not be. They were in the United Kingdom after all, not in some ruddy dictatorship.

"Who the hell are you?" he challenged, trying again to have a better look at his accusers.

"Sit back in your chair and look at the green light," the man commanded.

Sensing that he better do as he was told he straightened up in his chair and looked straight ahead at the light. He was rewarded by another lamp switching on. This one threw a bit more light on the people at the table. Davies could see two men, one of them about thirty, clad in a leather jacket. The man behind the lie detector wore an RAF greatcoat, but that was the only thing about him that looked like military. Right next to the detector was a camera on a tripod, presumably recording. Then there was an Asian woman, working at a laptop. Davies thought that she was supervising the equipment. And then there was another woman that appeared to be familiar. He racked his mind where he had seen her and then he remembered. She came to the bank. She was police. Now he also remembered the man in the greatcoat. He had argued with the police woman. Back then Davies had not cared about them. He saw their messenger leave and that was all that had mattered to him.

Seeing them here now was reassuring and frightening at the same time. If she was police, then what was she doing here? She had procedures to follow. But obviously the man was in charge. Who was he working for?

"Answer the question with yes," the man ordered him again, still sounding as impassive as before. "Are you Prime Minister of the United Kingdom?"

"Yes, sir," Davies said and saw the light at the back of the machine change from green to red.

The man in the greatcoat leaned over to the Asian woman and whispered something to her. She nodded and typed something on her laptop. He kept talking to her.

Davies could not understand a single word of what was spoken. That made him uneasy. His gaze drifted past the lie detector at where the man in the greatcoat sat and past the row of chairs at one of the pillars.

There was another shadow.

The upper torso and head of the figure were in complete darkness. All Davies could see were his waist, the belt buckle with waistcoat and jacket. The man leaned in a chair, the backrest against the pillar, watching and waiting.

Davies felt chills run down his back. He had the distinct feeling as if the man, whoever he was, stared right at him and right into his soul. Davies sensed that this man was different. He knew. How that could be Davies did not know, but he was sure that this man was the really important one, the man who held his life in his hands.

All of a sudden Davies was really scared.

tbc…


	15. Chapter 15

**Wrong Place, Wrong Time**

a Torchwood story

by RoadrunnerGER

_Disclaimer_: I don't own Torchwood, RTD and the BBC do. Long live Ianto Jones!

_Summary_: On an early night off Ianto Jones learned the hard way that when everything about your job is unexpected, it's the everyday dangers that could kill you. Janto, set s2

A/N: Phew, finally another chapter. Two more to go… Thanks to all my readers and reviewers. Special thanks to my faithful beta-reader _Mandassina_. Enjoy!

**Chapter 15**

"Theodore Davies, Junior," the Asian woman read, "born February eleven in nineteen eighty-two in Chelsea. Mother Gwyneth Davies, nee Russel, father Theodore Davies, Senior. After finishing school you started an apprenticeship as a locksmith. You did not finish but joined the Royal Army instead. There you finally became a locksmith. You were stationed in Bovington and Afghanistan. Your last post was with the explosive ordinance disposal."

"Correct?" the man in the greatcoat asked indifferently.

"Yes, sir," Davies answered, trying to keep his voice even. This was really weird and quite scary. Finally it sunk in that he would have no legal representation. Whatever was going to happen to him, it depended on this interview.

"You are convicted of criminal assault," the woman continued to read, "deprivation of personal freedom, extortionate robbery, aggravated theft, and violation of the regulation on explosives."

No question followed.

Davies realized that there was only one way to react to their accusation. Convicted. Without a trial. He had to accept it.

"Yes, ma'am," he said.

Uncomfortable silence fell. Davies could hear the woman's fingers dance over the keyboard and wondered what she was typing.

"Who had the idea that kidnapping and extortion was a good way to make money?" the man in the greatcoat asked. "You?"

Davies choked down his anxiety. "You won't tell him what I say, will you?" he panted. "He… he'll kill me."

The man snorted. Maybe he thought he was ready to kill Davies himself if he did not answer. Davies did not want to risk that.

"His. It was his idea."

"Who do you mean?" the man asked impassively.

"My… friend, um, partner. Scott Williams."

"Mr. Williams developed the plan to kidnap a messenger for your bank robbery?"

"Y-yes, sir."

"Was it Mr. Williams's idea to persuade your _messenger_ to work for you by putting a bomb necklace on him?"

Davies tried not to hesitate. "Yes, sir."

There was a moment of silence before the interrogator repeated his question.

Once more Davies felt chills run down his spine. Could the device be that good? It was not even connected to his body in any way.

"Yes, sir."

Silence fell and became more and more uncomfortable with every second passing. Then the interrogator spoke again.

"You are missing the point. You should be conscious of your situation. We are _not_ legally obligated to hear your version of the story. We have evidence and a witness. As far as we are concerned this matter is closed."

There was a pause as the words finally sank in. He was not being threatened. Threats were used to force cooperation. These people were not trying to coerce him. They did not want or need anything from him. Davies hesitantly nodded.

"However, we were asked to hear you before making our final decision."

Once more Davies nodded and dared to ask, "What's in for me?"

"What is _in_ it for you, Mr. Davies, is that your cooperation might placate us," the man in the greatcoat said even though he did not sound as if he believed that to be a good idea. "Understand this as your only chance to influence your sentence."

"Sentence?" Davies panted. "I didn't even have a trial! You can't just pass a sentence without a trial!"

"We can…" the interrogator waited until Davies listened again, "and we will. Actually the sentence is passed already. You'll serve life. Here."

"You must be kidding!" Davies brayed, jumping up from his chair.

"Sit!" the man barked.

Startled Davies dropped back down. His hopes sank as his mind tried in vain to grasp the idea of spending his whole life in that tiny bare cell. Anxiously he looked at the man in the twilight behind the lie detector and croaked, "Unless…?"

"Unless…" the man picked up his words, "you confess. A comprehensive confession probably could convince us to change our mind."

"I'll go to court then?" Davies asked hopefully.

"No," the interrogator ruined his optimism. "You will serve the maximum penalty for the counts you are confessing to. In regular prison."

"Oh."

Davies was shocked. Neither prospect was desirable. Still he preferred a regular prison over wherever he was now.

Finally he nodded. "All right."

"Note that only a comprehensive confession will convince us," the interrogator told him. "We will know when you are lying. Try to fool us about your involvement in the crime and there will be no deal. Clear?"

"Y-yes, sir," Davies choked.

This time it was the interrogator who nodded. The other three only stared at Davies without emotion. It really was an intimidating quartet.

And then there was the man in the dark.

"So tell us your story," the man in the greatcoat prodded.

_Where to start?_ Davies wondered. _How much can they really know? What kind of evidence can they have? Who is the witness? We didn't leave any witnesses, did we?_

Taking a deep breath Davies started to talk.

"Well, Scott and I served together in Afghanistan. We risked our lives on a daily basis and…"

"We are not interested in your life's story," the man in the leather jacket cut him short. "We just want your confession."

Davies swallowed hard and racked his mind about where else to start.

"Well, we weren't close friends, but sometimes we met for a beer or two or went to a rugby game. While I found the job with the post office Scott drifted around. Either way money was always tight."

"Stop wasting our time," the interrogator said coolly. "We are _not_ interested in the reason why you felt like doing what you did. There will be no extenuating circumstances."

_They know who I am, and that's all they need to know,_ Davies thought. He knew he had to continue and said, "Anyway, sitting together, talking, drinking, one of us came up with the idea…"

"You previously said it was not your idea. Are you changing your statement?"

"What? No! No. It was Scott's idea, but I didn't take him seriously. It was way too risky."

"You should have left it at that," the primary interrogator said dryly.

"Yes, sir," Davies agreed. "We should have. But one night a few weeks ago Scott said he'd found out how to pull it off without getting caught. He'd seen it on the internet…"

"The internet was not responsible for your actions," the Asian woman huffed, typing on her keyboard. "We don't want to hear excuses. Just tell us what you did."

"It was on a TV show Scott had watched online. He said it would be easy enough to build a bomb collar and somehow the plan became… serious." Trailing off he looked at the man in the greatcoat who watched him intently in return.

"And once more, whose idea was it?" the interrogator demanded to know.

"Scott's," Davies insisted. To his immense horror the light at the back of the device turned red. "Well, um, it was…" he stuttered, "he told me about what he had watched and I, well, I suggested how we could adapt it to our needs."

This time the light remained green.

"Go on."

"Scott still had good connections and got most of the stuff we needed as well as a hideaway."

"The warehouse at the International Rail Freight Terminal?" the Asian woman interrupted him.

Davies froze. _How do they know about the warehouse? Has Scott already talked to them?_

"Y-yes, ma'am. W-we put our stuff together there. Scott watched the bank, to work out when they'd have the most money there. Once we knew we just had to pick a guy as messenger…"

"Why Ianto Jones?" the man in the leather jacket cut in.

"He… he looked harmless and trustworthy," Davies mumbled. For the first time he really looked at the man and suddenly the scales fell from his eyes. He could have smacked himself for not recognizing him earlier. _Must be because of the light,_ Davies reassured himself. _But now I'm sure, he was the guy who opened the door when I arrived with the package. And wasn't the woman with the people coming up the stairs?_

"Harmless and trustworthy," leatherjacket repeated and snorted with amusement. "You have _no_ idea what you're talking about. But go on."

Davies felt more and more uncomfortable in his skin. For all he knew this was not getting better but worse.

"We…" he croaked and cleared his throat, "we went to town and looked for the right guy. Could've been a woman, too, though, but then we spotted him. Jones, I mean. Scott took him by surprise and manoeuvred him into his car. I got in, too, and we drove to the warehouse. Once we got there, Scott led him in while I went to get the collar…" Once more he trailed off, uncertain how to continue. "Scott, he… subdued Jones and I fastened the necklace on his neck. We told him we'd detonate the bomb if he didn't comply and he believed us. Then we had to tie him up so he wouldn't try to escape during the night."

"Did he have a mobile phone?" greatcoat threw in.

"I… think he did, yeah. I think Scott took it."

"Did you ever think about the fact that someone would miss Mr. Jones? That he could have family?"

Davies shrugged. "We were focused on what we had to do next."

"So you told Mr. Jones that you would kill him with the bomb if he did not do as he was ordered and sent him to the bank to get the money for you."

"Yes, sir," Davies said, as there was no way to deny that. "And that he should go to the park and wait there until we released him."

"You never meant to let him go though, did you?" the interrogator challenged in an icy tone that sent chills down Davies back.

"No, sir. I mean, yes, we wanted to let him go."

"He could identify you," the man prodded.

"We wore masks," Davies rushed to say. "He couldn't recognize us."

"Still you never meant to let him survive the robbery, right?" he said, whispering so threateningly that Davies shuddered.

"That's not true," Davies argued. "It was live, I admit that, but we would've let him go. We didn't plan to blow it up."

"I think you did," the interrogator growled, "intending to make the police believe he was the only bank robber and accidentally killed himself with an unstable bomb."

"No."

"Yes, you did," greatcoat snarled. "You did not just build in a fuse triggered via mobile phone, you also included a timer."

_They know!_ Davies was shocked. _Oh, God. How did they put it together? They can't be that good, can they?_

"But the timer wasn't live," he argued.

"It was," the Asian woman told him flatly. "I defused it."

"It wasn't live!" Davies insisted. "It just wasn't!"

"I say it was," the main interrogator replied.

Davies stared at the device in front of him like a deer caught in headlights. "No! It wasn't!" The light was red. _Shit!_

"You're lying," the interrogator simply said. "Go on."

"No!" Davies shouted. "How? How can you tell I'm lying? That thing? It's not proving anything! I'm not lying! Your plaything's not working! Prove to me that I'm not telling the truth! You can't can you? You don't know if I'm lying or not!"

Convinced that he brought this point home Davies settled back in his chair.

It was then that he heard a new voice speak.

"_I_ know you are lying."

tbc…


	16. Chapter 16

**Wrong Place, Wrong Time**

a Torchwood story

by RoadrunnerGER

_Disclaimer_: I don't own Torchwood, RTD and the BBC do. Long live Ianto Jones!

_Summary_: On an early night off Ianto Jones learned the hard way that when everything about your job is unexpected, it's the everyday dangers that could kill you. Janto, set s2

A/N: Thank you so much for your positive responses! I was quite anxious about the interrogation, actually. So I'm thrilled that it worked out. Special thanks to _Mandassina_ for her support and advise. We have reached the penultimate chapter. Enjoy!

**Chapter 16**

Jack watched their captive intently. The man visibly shuddered at the new voice and Jack heard him gasp and saw his eyes widen with shock, his gaze fixed on a point behind Jack.

The captain knew Davies reacted to the man in the dark getting up from his chair and stepping forward into the cone of light, and he chuckled inwardly though he did not allow himself to show his amusement in any way.

"Y-you…" Davies sputtered. "You should be…"

"Dead?" Ianto deadpanned. In a deceptively nonchalant demeanour he stood right behind Jack and glared at the man who had held him hostage.

"B-but y-you…"

"I take this stuttering as confirmation that blowing me up was part of the plan," Ianto said wryly.

Davies was at a loss for what to say. His courage failed. Directing his gaze at his lap he meekly said, "Yes, sir."

"Look at me when you are talking to me," Ianto commanded brusquely.

Chills ran down Jack's spine when he heard him talk like that. Pride welled up inside of him.

Visibly shuddering with fear Davies raised his head to look at Ianto.

"W-who are you?"

"You know who I am," Ianto replied.

Davies shook his head. "No, sir. I don't."

"I am Ianto Jones, the man you kidnapped and planned to kill. That is all you need to know."

"And he is the only one standing between you and serving life here," Jack added for good measure.

Davies fell silent for a moment. He still stared at Ianto as if he was seeing a ghost.

"How?" he finally panted. "How could you possibly tell?"

"I heard you talk about it."

"You must be kidding!" Davies laughed nervously. "You can't have heard us talk!" He trailed off, realizing that he admitted to having held Ianto prisoner.

"I have good ears," Ianto said. "I recognize your voice. In jest your partner called you Q… but you're nothing like Q. You're a disgrace."

"So what were you talking about?" Owen asked, leaning back in his chair and crossing his legs.

"We, um, we… were talking about a lot," Davies stammered.

"About the timer," Jack said. "Last chance."

"Well, we…" Davies tried to clear his throat, but could not get rid of the frog in his throat. So he croaked, "Scott said it would be better to make sure that there was no witness left. Yes, we were talking about the bomb. I told Scott I added a timer. It wasn't my idea, ok? I just built it!"

Ianto nodded thoughtfully. "You just built it," he repeated tonelessly. "You also put it on my neck and armed it."

"Y-yes. I did," Davies admitted. "I'm sorry. I… didn't realize. Somehow it got out of hand… and then it was… too late to scrub it. I'm sorry."

For a split second Ianto glanced at the lie detector. The light remained green.

"I… didn't want to hurt you," Davies said.

"But you did."

"Scott beat you!"

Slowly Ianto nodded. "Yes. And you accepted the fact that your bomb would kill me."

The frog in Davies throat was back and he choked but did not back out, "Y-yes. And I'm sorry."

Jack snorted with disgust and he scowled deeply as the light remained green. Obviously Davies's regret was real.

"Tell us what happened after you sent me to the bank," Ianto commanded.

"We watched you," Davies told him. "We made sure you were on your way with the money when we split up. Scott went to your flat and I went to work. I loaded my truck and started delivering the packages. When I arrived with our package I was arrested."

It was not the most detailed confession, but according to the lie detector it was the truth.

"I know you have no reason to believe me when I say that I'm sorry. I know it didn't seem like I gave a shit when we took you and you're right," Davies said. "Saying sorry doesn't change anything of what we did to you, but… bugger, it was so easy to forget. Once we got started it was a task at hand. I don't know what else to say. I can't change that it happened. I just can say I'm sorry."

Ianto had to take a deep breath. He could sense Jack tensing up. The captain probably was just about to explode and play weevil with the man, ripping his throat apart. Ianto saw how Owen bit in his fist in order not to launch himself at Davies. Swanson did not seem to be fazed, but Toshiko shuddered with every word he said.

The green light on the lie detector kept glowing unimpressed.

Ianto thought about what to say.

"There's nothing I can say. We needed money. The plan was crap… But I'm sorry. I'm honestly sorry."

With astonishment Ianto just stared at Davies and felt nothing. It was like the words bounced off his fresh suit, an armour against further harm. Ianto was less than impressed. He felt neither rage nor pity. To his infinite surprise he could not care less.

"You will have lots of years to think about why I am not impressed," Ianto finally said, denying Davies the absolution he apparently was hoping for.

Then he turned his back on him and disappeared into the darkness.

xXx

"Do you have everything?" Jack asked when he stopped the SUV in front of the police headquarters.

Swanson looked at the bag in her lap.

"Personal records, evidence bags, forensic reports, printed confessions, DVDs of CCTV as well as the interviews, and a lot of questions you won't answer…" she specified, "Yeah, I think I have everything."

Jack chuckled.

"It's not funny," Swanson pouted. "You think you saved me a lot of time, finding and arresting the men, giving me the evidence I need. But I have to explain all this to my boss. He'll have questions! The Crown Prosecutor will have questions."

Jack still chuckled.

"You're laughing at me," Swanson complained.

"No," Jack smirked as he turned in the driver's seat to face her. "I'm not. You should know by now, though, that no one will ask."

"Oh, believe me, they _will_ ask."

"No, they won't."

"How can you be so sure?" Swanson huffed. "You delivered the bad guys to the prison, practically wrapped in a bow, like some bloody comic book superhero. Of course people will ask questions."

"No, they won't."

"Oh, yes, they will."

"Kathy!" Jack laughed. "We're Torchwood. They'll accept it, no questions asked."

Looking at the captain's impertinent grin Swanson realized that he was right. Rarely could they produce such a well documented case. She might hate the idea, but what Jack said was true. Once her boss and the prosecutors had a look at the files they would nod and lock the men away. No one would care where the evidence came from.

"Hey," Jack said softly. "Smile, Kathy. This is a victory, but you're looking as if you'd go to your own execution."

"I kind of feel like that," she admitted.

"Why?" Jack was honestly surprised. "You got what you wanted, enough evidence to send them to jail. And we didn't even touch a hair on their heads."

"No, you didn't," she agreed.

Jack smirked again, "Now that's progress."

"What is?"

"At first you thought we'd just shoot them," Jack shrugged. "That we could convince you of the opposite is an improvement."

"You didn't convince me that you didn't want to shoot them," Swanson challenged. "I still think that you would happily kill them for what they did to your lover."

Jack's features turned sour. "Oh, really?" he snarled. "Now I didn't, did I?"

"No, you didn't," Swanson confirmed. She thought back to the moment in the first interview when Davies repeatedly said that he was sorry. She had looked at the captain then and just knew that pulling the trigger was his greatest wish right at that point. He reigned himself in, but Swanson was convinced that that was not for Davies or Jack's own sake. "Well, I should take this and go."

Jack nodded.

"Thank you, Kathy."

Surprised she paused, her hand on the door handle. "You're thanking me? I didn't do anything. You did all the work, you and your team."

She got no answer, but the mysterious smile that played around the captain's lips sent chills down Swanson's spine. It was as if he knew exactly what she had been thinking. Taking a deep breath she opened the door.

"Goodbye, Captain Jack," she said and climbed out of the car.

She did not hear him reply and as soon as she had closed the door the black Torchwood SUV departed.

tbc…


	17. Chapter 17

**Wrong Place, Wrong Time**

a Torchwood story

by RoadrunnerGER

_Disclaimer_: I don't own Torchwood, RTD and the BBC do. Long live Ianto Jones!

_Summary_: On an early night off Ianto Jones learned the hard way that when everything about your job is unexpected, it's the everyday dangers that could kill you. Janto, set s2

A/N: Thank you all for the great comments! It makes me sooo happy to know that you like my story. I wanted to post the last chapter earlier, but my computer crashed. Oh, well… So this is the final chapter. One story ends… and another is still in the works. I hope to get it finished soon, but no promises. Special thanks to _Mandassina_ and _Kitsa_ for beta reading and support. I love you guys! Enjoy!

**Chapter 17**

"Only thirty-six hours after the robbery at HSBC on Saturday morning two suspects have been arrested. According to the police two former soldiers took a young man hostage, forcing him to get the money for them by putting a bomb necklace on him. Chief Superintendent Cadwallader commended Detective Inspector Katherine Swanson and her team for their brilliant work in solving the case in such a short time. We all can be…"

_Zap._

"Hey, I wanted to see that!" Owen complained.

"Watch it on the internet," Ianto grumbled, dropping the remote control on the coffee table. He had seen more than enough.

"And where's my coffee?" Owen teased.

"Make it yourself," Ianto said flatly.

More than anything else this made Owen switch into doctor mode. He jumped up from his work station and strode purposefully over to the rec area.

"Don't you dare start prodding me again," Ianto tried to stop him. "I'm all right."

"You're all right when I say you're all right," Owen told him, sat down beside the Welshman and took his wrist to check his pulse. "Hm, seems to be okay."

"Thanks. Now bugger off!"

When Owen did not move Ianto got up and all but ran into the tunnel leading to the archives.

"Owen," Toshiko chided. "He needs some space. Don't smother him."

"Smother him? Me?" Owen replied, shocked. "I just don't want him to make me look bad by keeling over after I've declared him fit. Smother him! Really!"

Toshiko just smirked. "You can play the grump all you want, Owen. We all know better."

"Yeah, well then, we don't need to _talk_ about it, do we?" Owen grumbled.

Chuckling, Toshiko agreed. "No, I suppose not, but you do need to give Ianto some breathing room," she said. "He's used to looking after us. If nothing else, I imagine your being so solicitous would make him uncomfortable. And really, I'm sure you've already decided he's really all right, he just needs some time to get his head around what happened to him."

"And being the insensitive twat that I am, I'm hardly the one to help him with that, eh?" Owen asked in a wounded tone.

"I never said that," Toshiko placated him. "But maybe this time you're not the right one to draw him out."

"And you think Jack is?"

"I didn't say that, Owen," Toshiko said calmly. "I mean, it's Ianto's choice." She paused. "Or maybe he just needs another unexpected experience to snap out of it."

"What do you mean?" Owen prodded.

"When we were at the UNIT facility…" Toshiko started. "Well, being there triggered unpleasant memories. Especially when I wandered the halls on my way to get the food. When I returned… I… had to bring myself to go back in. No one tried to stop me, not on my way out and not on my way in, but… it still was weird. I don't have to go there again."

"Oh," Owen said. "I'm sorry, Tosh."

"No problem," she shrugged. "After all, it was my idea to lock them up there."

Owen nodded slowly and returned to his work.

xXx

Jack found Ianto in the archives. The young Welshman sat in front of his computer with a pile of files but was not working. His shoulders slightly sagged and his hand resting on the mouse he stared at the screen, but Jack doubted that he really saw what was displayed on it.

"Hey, Yan," Jack softly said and walked around the desk to stand behind him. Carefully he put his hands on Ianto's shoulders. On the monitor he discovered an article about the bank robbery. Jack began to gently massage Ianto's shoulders. He did not say a word, just kept up working the kinks out of the hard muscles.

Finally he got a moan as response which encouraged him to breathe a kiss on Ianto's dark curls.

Jack kept on massaging and Ianto let go of the mouse. His arm slid down and came to rest on his thigh. Slightly swaying forward and back with Jack's kneading motions Ianto began to relax.

"Why?" Ianto suddenly murmured. "Why does it have such a big impact on me?"

"What do you mean?" Jack asked, keeping up the massage.

"The kidnapping. After everything that happened to me, Canary Wharf, Lisa's death, the cannibals… I should be able to handle what they did, but I hardly slept last night and when I did I dreamed about the bank robbery and that the collar blew my head off. Thinking of it makes me physically sick. I didn't have breakfast, and I don't think that I could handle lunch."

"I would be surprised if you didn't react to it," Jack said.

"But I was okay before!" Ianto argued, raising his voice. "When we were at the UNIT facility I slept, I had Chinese, I faced them in interrogation… And now I start to shiver when I read about it or see it on TV. I get nauseous when I think about how easily they could have blown off my head."

"That's perfectly natural, Yan," Jack murmured. "You slept because you were exhausted. You needed nutrition. And you were running on adrenalin during the interrogation." He let go of Ianto's shoulders and took the chair's backrest to turn him around. "Look at me, Yan."

Slowly Ianto raised his gaze to face Jack.

"Now the adrenalin has worn off and you realize what could have happened. Those men took your freedom, chained you up, put a bomb on you, and forced you to commit a bank robbery. Seriously, Yan, you have the right to feel scared. They rendered you helpless and that's a very powerful feeling."

"Yeah," Ianto croaked.

"I'm proud of you."

"What?" Ianto was stunned. "Why?"

"I'm proud of you for the way you handled the situation. You didn't break under the stress and you helped us when we gave you the lenses. And then _you_ made them confess. That's really impressive, Yan."

Jack could not help but smirk when Ianto turned an adorable shade of red.

"Come," Jack said and pulled Ianto into a ferocious hug. He ruffled his hair and kissed him again. "Why aren't you the one who can get pregnant?" Jack said out of the blue. "Then I could get you up the duff so you'll have to go on maternity leave."

"Oh, really? Why's that?"

"You'd always be pregnant, you know, Yan? As soon as you gave birth I'd father the next baby."

"Jack!" Ianto groaned. "Now you're scaring me. Why would you do that?"

Jack choked. He knew exactly why. He just could not voice it.

"Jack? Why are you threatening me with constant pregnancy?"

Once more Jack swallowed on the lump in his throat and he chewed on his bottom lip. He stared into the blue eyes Ianto was piercing him with and his heart beat faster.

"So you'll have to stay home, or… at least in the Hub."

Cocking his head to the side Ianto looked at Jack questioningly.

"This situation scared me," Jack admitted. "I want to keep you safe. I don't want you to be in danger. I wish I could order you to stay at the Hub, safe and sound, so that I won't…"

"So that you won't…?" Ianto prodded when Jack trailed off.

"Lose you," Jack said so fast that Ianto barely got it.

"You're afraid to lose me?" Ianto murmured, cupping Jack's chin with his hand. "Yes?"

Choking again Jack nodded.

"One day you will."

Quickly Jack raised his hand to cover Ianto's lips, but it was too late. He already said it.

"I know," Jack said hoarsely. "I hope it's old age and not in the field."

"You're my boss, but you still can't order me to stay behind," Ianto challenged.

"I know."

Nodding firmly Ianto made his point.

"But…" Jack croaked. "Um, could your worried partner kindly ask you to quit field work?"

"My partner? I'd have to support him in the field, don't you think?" Ianto said innocently.

"I mean… your life partner."

"My life partner?"

"Yeah, like… your husband," Jack mumbled. He looked at Ianto's bright blue eyes and shuddered with anxiety.

Ianto also shuddered, sensing that Jack was fighting to say something and asking, "Who'd that…?"

_Be_ he wanted to say, but was stopped by Jack's lips sealing his mouth with a passionate kiss.

"Me," Jack croaked when he let go. "Because I love you."

There it was, finally spoken aloud.

"And I love you, you big oaf," Ianto murmured, returning the kiss tenderly.

Their snogs became more passionate again, Jack's hands finding Ianto's butt, Ianto threading his fingers in Jack's dark hair while he clawed at his shirt with the other hand. They were about to tear each other's shirts off when an alarm blared.

"No!" Jack groaned.

"Oh, yes," Ianto smirked and headed for the tunnel up to the central Hub.

"Where are you going?" Jack growled.

"Well, I'm the _butler_, right?" Ianto chuckled, "Cleaning up after you and getting you everywhere on time."

Scowling Jack remained where he was.

"C'mon, Jack," Ianto prodded, encouragingly holding a hand out to him. "Time to save the world."

Jack took Ianto's hand and side by side they jogged up the tunnel to meet the team and face another challenge.

_End_


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